A Spider, A Devil, and a Viper
by Senisra
Summary: Co-Written with My2Browneyes. Hydra is divided and both factions have targeted Jess. With nowhere left to go, Jess flees to New York City in the hopes of being harder to find in the large city. Unfortunately for Jess, her plan falls apart and she winds up dragging Matt Murdock into the hell that is her past.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Co-Written with My2BrownEyes over on AO3. Couldn't do it without her! Rated M because sex, trauma and past abuse.

Chapter 1

Matthew Murdock had officially hit bottom. He lost his last and biggest case when Frank Castle (aka The Punisher) decided to yell out in court that he was glad he murdered all of those gang and mafia members. He lost his best friend and law partner Foggy Nelson after he left him to do all of the lawyering on the Frank Castle case. He lost his college girlfriend Elektra Natchios who was killed on a rooftop as they battled ninjas together. (He couldn't save her. He should have been able to save her.) And now he lost his other friend and almost girlfriend Karen Page. His lack of work on the case had strained their relationship. He thought telling her he was Daredevil would repair it. He was wrong. He left an angry Karen at the office. (He'd probably lose that, too.)

Now he was walking the streets of Hell's Kitchen only knowing he didn't want to go home.

There was one person he hadn't lost yet. And even though she was still on the west coast, he could at least feel closer to her and a little less alone. There was the t-shirt she had left at his place. He went there first. But the t-shirt wasn't enough. There were too many other energies in this space – Elektra's and Karen's being most prominent. So, he left with the t-shirt in his hand and headed to Jessica Drew's apartment.

Matt climbed up the fire escape intending only to sit outside her window and hold her t-shirt. He knew it was pathetic, but all Matt had the energy to do was wallow in his self-pity. Maybe he'd call her and see if she had time to talk. But as he got closer, he realized there was someone in her apartment. He checked the window and was surprised to find it unlocked. As quietly as he could, he opened it and climbed inside.

Jess just wanted a shower and a decent night's sleep. Then she could hit the road again. God, she smelled. She hadn't showered in days and had been places that were best left unsaid. It was best not to think about what sort of dirt (if it was even that) she was covered in. But her path had seemed to work – she had managed to shake off the guys that had been tailing her.

"Fuck me." Jess cursed as she lost her balance and fell into her bedroom dresser. Forget HYDRA, these pants would be the death of her. She froze as the sound of her window opening caught her attention. Hastily she struggled out of her pants as her hand began to crackle with green lightning, giving her dark apartment an eerie glow. "Who's there?" She called out, ready for a fight. The irony that she was only in her underwear and a t-shirt did not escape her. Of course this would be how she would go.

"Jess? It's Matt." He entered with his hands in the air, the t-shirt she left him in one of them. There was a pained but surprised look on his face. "Is it really you?" Had he missed her call? Had he completely lost her, too?

Matt. Jess closed her eyes at the sound of his voice. It soothed her like nothing else could, but she couldn't allow her guard to drop. His face was tinged green from the electricity still crackling about her hands. She noticed her shirt and his expression, and her heart twisted uncomfortably in her chest. Only Matt could do that to her, but she had to be sure it was him. "Of course, it's me." She snapped. "But are you really you? You're not an LMD are you?" Jess hated LMDs. They'd fooled her with one of those before. She had lost her apartment in San Francisco because of it. But they wouldn't fool her with that ever again.

She was going to hate herself for this, for doing this to him, but she did it anyway. Jess took a breath to collect herself, then blasted the biggest dose of her pheromones she could. If he fell over in lust – well then. It was Matt. LMDs were good, but no one had figured out how to get them to react to her pheromones yet.

He didn't know what an LMD was, and soon he didn't care. A wave of lust surged through him. Everything else was forgotten except his need of her. He stumbled forward in his impatience to get to her. Then he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a hungry kiss.

Yup, definitely Matt. She allowed him to kiss her for the briefest of moments then pinned his arms to his side and held him at arm's length. "I need you to just stand here for a moment. Promise?" She needed to get her pheromone neutralizer.

"Jess, please." Matt begged, his voice husky with lust. He leaned toward her, desperate to touch her. Only after she promised him that she'd be right back did he agree to stay put.

It took Jess longer than she'd like to find where she had placed her jacket, but she couldn't risk a light right now. She knew she was being paranoid, but usually that paid off. Finally she found it and turned to Matt. She spritzed him right in the face plus the area around him, just to be sure. "Feeling better yet?"

He made a face and sneezed. The lust receded almost as quickly as it came. The depression that followed felt twice as heavy. It made his knees buckle. He fell to the ground. Burying his face in her t-shirt, he tried to weep. But all he felt was the heaviness.

That was not the typical reaction someone had when she sprayed them with neutralizer. "Matt?" Jess reached out in the darkness, her hands finding his shoulders and pulling him to her. "Hey, what's going on? Why are you here?" There was a clear note of concern in her voice. She was not used to seeing Matt this way, and it scared her. The bounty hunter didn't wait for Matt's response. She wrapped her arm around his torso and pulled him to his feet, then dragged him to the bathroom. It was the only place in the apartment without windows and where she could risk turning on a light.

He let her lead him. "I lost," he said in a hollow voice. "I… I lost." He didn't know how else to explain it.

"You lost what, love?" Jess asked him, confused by what he was saying. She closed the door and flicked the switch, blinking against the sudden light. She gently pushed Matt back so she could get a better look at him. Gone was the cocky lawyer. There wasn't a hint of the quiet confidence of even Daredevil. All that remained was a look of desolation. The unaccustomed feeling of protectiveness swirled inside of Jess. "And who do I need to hurt?" She growled. She really didn't have time for this, risked dragging Matt into the mess that was her life every second he stayed in her apartment. But she was not leaving him like this. She couldn't.

"There's no one. They've all left. There was only you." His head tilted up to her. "The memory of you. And now here you are." His head dropped. "Or have you come to leave, too. You're the only one who hasn't all the way back to my mom. And now even Foggy is gone."

He wasn't making any sense to her. Foggy was practically his brother. Why would Foggy leave? "Where did Foggy go?" Jess reached out and placed a hand under Matt's chin, tilting it up towards her. She didn't smell any alcohol, so he hadn't been drinking. That was good at least. "Matthew Murdock, you are my only friend on this planet, and I do not intend to change that." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "But, I am only here for a shower and a few hours rest. Then I need to leave. That has nothing to do with you." Jess felt as if there was a time bomb being held over her head.

He nodded. Her heartbeat said it was true, but he still had a hard time believing her. "Sorry. Foggy went to Hogarth Chao & Benowitz. Karen is now a reporter. And I'm…" He exhaled in defeat. "I'm in your way. I should go."

She partly agreed with him, but Jess wasn't going to let Matt leave like this. "You're not going anywhere." She pushed him back until he was leaning against the sink. "You are going to listen for anyone else entering this apartment while I shower, because I smell like a sewage plant. You are also going to tell me everything that happened because you are not making sense to me. Okay?" Jess pressed another kiss to the corner of Matt's mouth, then got the water running.

"Okay." At least this made him feel useful. As he listened for anything suspicious, he vowed he wouldn't let Jess meet the same fate as Elektra. Thankfully, there was no one coming for her, at least not yet. He saved his story until she finished her shower. Then he gave her the shortened version. He was surprised she hadn't heard about Frank Castle and the trial. It seemed to dominate the news here, but maybe it held no interest nationally. He continued, telling her how his college girlfriend had come back, how ninjas (yes, ninjas) had followed her, how they ended her life. He told her about the trial and his almost complete lack of involvement in it after convincing Foggy to take the case. It felt like confession, all of his mistakes laid out before her.

Jess wrapped herself in a towel and took Matt's hands, unsure of what to say. Her thumbs brushed over his knuckles. "Matt, I'm sorry. If...if I had known, if I could have been here to help, I would have." It was important to Jess that he knew this, knew she hadn't forgotten him.

"I know. I should have called." His eyes dropped. "Elektra has always clouded my judgment." He shook his head clear it then gave her hands a little squeeze. "Now you know my sad story. What's yours? Who is after you? And how can I help?"

"Elektra's reputation was as bad as mine." Jess thought of what she knew of the woman, which wasn't much. She wasn't really surprised she had caught Matt's attention though. Jess swallowed at his next questions. "The less you know about that, the better off you will be. It's not the first time they've gone after me, I'll be fine. They're why I can't stay and why I didn't call you though. I'm sorry, Matt."

What he heard was that he was worthless. Most of him agreed. "It's okay. I'm sorry I intruded." His plan now was to go home, wallow for a bit in sorrow and beer, then in the morning (after dealing with whatever hangover he ended up with) decide what to do next. "I should go."

By this time Jess had dragged Matt back through her dark apartment and into her bedroom. She began to dress. It went much more smoothly than undressing before the shower had. Jess zipped her jacket and placed her glasses on the top her head, then reached for Matt again and pulled him into an embrace. She wasn't sure if it was right, but it felt like it was. "You're not bothering me, Matt. My past is coming back to get me, and I'm not sure who is real and who isn't. I can't let you get involved in that." No sooner had the words left her mouth that Jess heard the soft click of her apartment door lock.

Matt's head jerked up. He listened closely. He raised one finger indicating it was only one person entering. But then he heard another sound that seemed off. "Wires," he whispered. The realization came suddenly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the window.

Wires meant bombs. Shit. She placed herself between Matt and the intruder. A flashlight flicked on in her living and she could get a better look at their opponent. He was middle aged but shorter than even her. Jess could make out a vest underneath the oversized jacket he wore.

"I know you're in here, you traitorous bitch!" Jess had been called worse things. She pushed her goggles firmly down onto her face.

If Matt wasn't here she'd go and meet the guy head on, but she wasn't willing to risk that. Her voice was barely a breath when she spoke "We'll let him blow the joint. I'm going to lure him back here. Stay towards the window. When I say now, hug me around the neck."

"Got it." If Matt was good at anything, it was hiding in the shadows. He took the few steps to the window and disappeared in the darkness.

The intruder made his way to her bedroom, a maniacal grin spread across his face. "There you are – and you have a friend. Was he to be your entertainment tonight? You should know you don't have time for that." He lunged at Jess, who in turn had moved to shove Matt out of the way. He might be Daredevil, but this was her mess to deal with.

The asshole had managed to grab her by the hair. Jess reached back and grabbed his wrist until there was a cracking noise, and he let go. "Fuck you." She growled as she kicked him away.

The stranger bumped against the wall then stepped forward. His left hand flew forward grabbing the sleeve of her shirt. His right hand reached for the detonator on his vest. "Hail Hydra!"

Matt grabbed a book from the dresser and threw it at the man's right hand. It delayed the action just long enough for Jess to yank free and run towards him. He threw his arms around her neck just before she jumped out the window.

The force of the explosion pushed them forward. The sound disoriented Matt, and the heat and glass and debris whooshed over his back before surrounding them.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: This story takes place after Season 2 of Daredevil and before Defenders, but there are A LOT of elements from Agents of SHIELD though we don't see any of the cast show up in this story (So far. It's still a work in progress). For anyone wondering, this is the sequel to A Spider, A Devil, and a Pack of Dogs. You may want to read that before reading this.

Chapter 2

Jess let them fall for a second before she snapped her arms open and the wings of her jacket caught the air. They weren't outright gliding, Matt's weight made it too heavy for her to do that, but it certainly slowed their decent enough that Jess could gain some control of the fall. Jess angled her body towards the building, reaching out until her left hand touched the wall. She immediately stuck to it, causing their bodies to crash into the building and her shoulder to make a sickening popping sound, but at least they weren't falling anymore. She wrapped her free arm around Matt as debris continued to rain down from above them.

Matt held on knowing his being there had made things worse for her. His extra weight had put her in danger. He said a prayer as they waited for the sky to clear once more. But he also felt her strain to keep hold. Her dislocated shoulder was making it difficult. He was making it difficult. Below, he could hear some of the debris hitting sacks of trash, could smell it rising in the air to meet them. He made a decision. "Let me go," he whispered in her ear. "There's a dumpster. I'll be fine."

"No." Jess ground out. She looked below them and sure enough there was dumpster. "One hell of a sense of smell Murdock. Hang on." Jess released her hold on the wall, and they started to fall again. Jess somehow managed to twist their bodies so that they landed safely in the dumpster, with Matt on top of her.

He reached up and closed the lid before a large chunk of brick and mortar fell from above. "You okay?"

"I will be. How good are you at popping shoulders back into their sockets? I need that done and then we have to run." Or at least she did.

Taking her injured arm, he gently pulled and rotated it until it popped back into place as best he could in the limited space. Once the worst of it had passed, he pushed the lid open. He climbed out first then helped her out.

Jess rolled her injured shoulder after she landed beside Matt. He'd done well – that didn't really surprise her. "Thanks for that. Are you ok?" She asked him, her voice a mixture of admiration and concern. She didn't wait for him to answer as she led them deeper into the alley. The farther away they were from this mess the better.

He didn't bother answering her question. "We can go to my place," he suggested instead. "You can clean up, plan your next move."

Jess was tempted. Sorely tempted. Just one night of rest on something that wasn't concrete. That's all she wanted. She licked her lips as she thought. "Is there anyone around following us? The minute you hear someone following us you have to let me know ok? I do not want to drag you any further into the shit show that is my life."

"No one is following us." But then he stopped and pinned her against the wall. A moment later, a cop car passed. Matt didn't move. He tilted his head as though listening. He placed a finger to his lips. His brow furrowed. Quietly he walked her down the alley. Only after they were several blocks away, did he explain. "There was someone looking for you, trying to make sure you were dead. He's still looking."

"How close is he?" Jess whispered, her body tense. She ignored the word "was". She didn't dare look over her shoulder as she continued to silently follow Matt. She hated her life, hated how she always had to look over her shoulder. Hated how she always allowed SHIELD to drag her into this shit. She just wanted to be left alone.

He stopped and listened again. "Still at your apartment building. The police found him before he could slip away. He's waiting to be questioned," he told her. "But he found the dumpster. He suspects you're still alive. He's already told his handler as much."

"If the police have him he won't be alive long. He'll die before he talks." Jess whispered. "Did you manage to catch a name at all?" If she were to be honest, she was surprised they went for the death threat. Usually they were trying to catch her and reprogram her. Maybe they had enough of that MO already though. Either way, Jess was incredibly grateful to have Matt with her right now, even if it was bad for him. "And you're SURE no-one is following us anymore?"

"I'm sure. But they're looking. And the police are only holding him as a witness," he explained. He pressed his lips together. "And my place is out. Whoever these people are, they know about us."

Jess' anxiety sky rocketed. This was not how any of this was supposed to go. If she ever saw Fury after this she was going to tell him to shove that stick farther up his ass. Hell, she would do it for him. "How many?" She whispered. She would tell him all of it once they had a moment to breathe.

"Not sure. At least half a dozen going to each location you have a connection with. My place. Battery Park. The New York Public Library?" Actually when he thought about it, it made sense. The library was a great place for research.

"It's a good place for research." Jess echoed Matt's thoughts. "You need your suit. If you are going to be dragged into this, you need it." Jess only hoped they hadn't found it. If they had, Matt was screwed.

"I…" He shook his head. "I can't. I'll just slow you down, put you in more danger." Hadn't he proven that already?

"You're daft if you think that, Murdock. We'd be dead right now or at least way more injured if not for you." Jess argued quietly. "If anything, I'm the one who put you in danger." There was a reason she didn't have friends and this was it. But Matt could defend himself. At least she thought that until he started talking like this. It concerned Jess but she was more concerned about him surviving. "You don't want to deal with this. But now they know about your connection to me, and I don't think they will let that go easily, no matter how brief it was. They'll use you to get to me."

That made sense. The last thing he wanted was to become bait at these people's hands. But, he swore to himself, this would be the last time he put on the suit. It had cost him too much already. He had to stop. He had to become the man his father wanted him to be. But first he had to help Jess. "Can we wait them out? Go in for the suit later?" He thought he knew what the answer was but wanted to hear it for himself.

"I'm fairly certain they've made themselves right at home. They'd have to be taken out." Jess pursed her lips in thought. "I could go in and lure them out. It's me they want anyway." Which was true enough. The problem was Jess didn't know who within Hydra was after her. If the one from her apartment had wanted her alive, she'd have her answer.

Matt pursed his lips. "Maybe we should just leave it. All I need is something to cover my face. That's what I did before."

"And while those scars on your body healed incredibly well, you do not have my healing factor." Jess hissed back.

"I never said I did," he snapped in return. "We'll go and check it out. These people are far more organized than the Dogs were. So if there are too many, we turn around and leave." The tone of his voice left no room for argument.

"I'm well aware of that. I've dealt with them my entire life. Lead on." Jess gestured, letting Matt take point since he had the super hearing.

He found the nearest way up to the roof and started to climb. They were both better on rooftops anyway. But as they got closer to his building he stopped behind a water tower. "They have two people. One on the building to the north. The other on the building to the east. We'll need to take a slight detour to avoid them."

Jess didn't agree with Matt in avoiding them. She wanted to take them out and leave them to rot. But she could also see why he would rather avoid them too. "When we get closer just let met distract them so you can get in."

He opened his mouth to tell her about the two inside his apartment but decided against it. He could deal with them himself. And her commotion could lure them away. "Fine," he finally said. "You distract. I enter."

Jess narrowed her eyes. "You said half a dozen in each location. There are two out here. Where are the rest?" She was not letting him take on any Hyrda anything by himself.

"Two in the apartment. Two keeping watch on the street." He tilted his head slightly. "And one in the stairwell."

"Then you stay here and I'll take the three in the building. This is Hydra, Matt. Not the Dogs." She shot his earlier words back at him. "They could be super soldiers in there."

Matt made a face. "Fine," he said in a tense voice. "I'll take the two on the roof. You take the three in the building."

"Yeah take them in your lawyer suit and then they'll put two and two together. I think not. Leave them, I'll be quiet enough." At least she hoped so.

He started to get angry then remembered he was trying to give up this life. "You're right. Let me at least get you one building over without being seen."

"Ok." Jess was slightly suspicious that Matt had backed off that quickly, but she allowed him to lead her closer to the building.

They went the rest of the way silently. Matt stopped and started, leading her along a slightly meandering path. He took her to the building south of his place. "Be careful," he whispered to her.

"Key?" She held her hand out to Matt. "I plan to use the door like a normal person for once."

He fished the key out of his pocket and put it in her hand. Then he made the sign of the cross and said a little prayer for her safety.

Jess waited until she was sure the coast was clear then silently slipped into the building. The sentry in the hall was dispatched easily enough – she put him in a sleeper hold and knocked him out before he could alert the others. She paused before the door of Matt's apartment and listened. They were talking quietly, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Jess inserted the key and jiggled the lock the way she remembered Matt doing all those months ago. She paused for a moment as the familiar scent of the apartment washed over her. She took a moment to remember those blissful two weeks of kicking ass, good food, great conversation, and amazing sex. She wanted more weeks like that. Maybe after all of this.

The whispers inside immediately stopped as she stepped down the darkened hallway, and Jess was instantly on the alert again. Just as she reached the main area of the apartment they jumped her. For the first time, Jess was grateful for that damn neon sign that lit up Matt's living room. She had no problem seeing her attackers, and it was all over in a distressingly quick amount of time. It put Jess's nerves on edge. That was too easy. There hadn't even been any yelling.

Jess shoved her worries aside and secured the now unconscious Hydra pawns, then made her way to where Matt kept his suit. She pulled it out and shoved it into a shoulder bag nearby but made sure the rest of the items in it and the box itself were exactly as they had been before. As an after-thought she even went so far as to go into Matt's room and grabbed him a few changes of clothes as well.

She was back at Matt's side in a shorter amount of time than she had anticipated. "That was entirely too easy." She quietly voiced her earlier fears as she handed him his key back. "Not sure what you want to do about the assholes inside. I'd recommend you just leave them there. We need to move. Follow me." Without waiting for Matt to respond she started to lead him quickly away from his home.

He followed her silently as he thought about it being too easy for her. When they were several blocks away, he said, "They probably thought I'd be by myself. Or that they'd be able to spot you before getting inside." People tended to underestimate him. It was something he was used to.

Jess considered. "Perhaps." She conceded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were just trying to lull her into a false sense of security. Jess didn't say another thing as they moved closer to Midtown where some upscale hotels resided. She paused outside one of them, leaning into Matt "Are we being followed?" She didn't feel as if they were, but it was nice to have Matt around to confirm it. Maybe she was relying on him a little too heavily for this, but he was the only person she trusted right now.

"No. We're clear. But they know you were at my place." He found it horribly typical that just when he quit this life Jess would come back with another evil group wanting to kill and probably take over New York.

"Not surprised." She took Matt's arm and pulled him down an alley and behind a dumpster. She pushed several bricks in the wall – which then moved to reveal a flight of stairs. She led Matt inside. "Welcome to SHIELD. Well, sort of."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter is shameless, shameless Smut.

Chapter 3

The room had a stale and musty scent about it. Though belonging to SHIELD (or maybe because of it), this place obviously did not get a lot of use. From what Matt could tell, the furniture was sparse and kind of cheap. It was a little cold, too. He was glad he had his coat. "Safe house?" he asked Jessica. The police usually used cheap hotels in his experience. But this was not a hotel. Of that he was certain.

"Yeah." Jess responded as she dropped his bag on the couch. She was glad to see this particular place hadn't seemed to be used recently – it meant that they were less likely to be found by random SHIELD agents. It also meant that a certain someone was still designating it as hers even after all this time. Though it hadn't been used, the place was well stocked with non-perishable foods, a first aid kit, and most importantly a shower. Even though she just had one a couple of hours ago, Jess felt dirty. Dealing with Hydra always made her feel dirty. "I grabbed you a couple changes of clothes. Shower is to your left if you want one."

"Thanks." He went to the bag and took out the clothes. He paused when he touched the Daredevil suit. Pulling out the helmet, his fingers glided over the smooth surface. He hated it as much as he loved it. The suit had cost him so much and also had made him feel so alive. He set the helmet back in the bag. "So what now?"

"I don't know. I'd like to know who is organizing this. They want me dead. Hydra usually doesn't want me dead. And I got away too easily from your apartment. Something isn't matching up. Hydra isn't lazy or miscalculating." Jess wrung her hands nervously as she paced through the small living area.

"Maybe it isn't Hydra? Or maybe there's an internal dispute." He sat on the couch feeling tired.

"I assure you it's definitely Hydra. It's just a matter of who." Jess assured him. He looked as tired as she felt. "Look, we're both tired. We'll think better when we've had rest." She paused before sitting beside him on the couch. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this." Granted, it hadn't been her idea that he come to her place tonight, but he was in this because he knew her.

"You didn't. They did." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Rest sounds good. Mind if I use the bathroom first?"

Jessica didn't agree with that but also didn't feel like arguing. "It's all yours." She stood and started to rummage around in the tiny kitchen for something to eat.

Matt wasn't in the bathroom for long. When he returned, his shirt was untucked with the top two buttons undone. "It's all yours." He picked up his bag and started moving to the bed. But then he stopped. "Are you okay? That's a stupid question. Someone is trying to kill you." He dropped the bag and walked to her. "No one would be okay." He took her hand and gently tugged her closer.

"This is actually a fairly normal occurrence for me." Jess pointed out matter-of-factly. It had just been a bit since Hydra had hounded her this seriously. She knew she shouldn't have helped SHIELD. This was always the fallout when she did – but this was the first time she had more than herself to worry about. Gently Jess pulled her hand out of Matt's grasp, despite desperately wanting to take the comfort he was offering. "I'm going to clean up as well."

"Okay." Hiding his disappointment, he picked up his bag again and headed to the left side of the full bed in the room. It was strange. As close as he and Jess had been before, it felt like there was a gulf between them now. As he unbuttoned his shirt he wondered if pasts always came to screw people over.

For the second time in less than five hours, Jess found herself back in the shower. She was tense and hoped the hot water would do something to relieve the ache in her neck and shoulders. All that really happened was the familiar cloak of depression wrapping around her. With a sigh, Jess turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She dried herself off and dressed back into her pants and tank top, then gathered up her jacket and boots only to drop them in a heap at the foot of the bed. Jess looked from Matt to the bed, shrugged, and sunk into the side not occupied by him.

He considered asking her how long they'd been after her this time, but he figured she might not want to talk about it. "How is Luis?" he asked instead. He figured that would be a safe topic.

"Not sure." Jess answered. She was stretched out on her stomach, her face turned away from Matt. "I made sure he got home ok but I had to go after that."

"You've been gone a long time then," he realized. She was so close. He could move his hand three inches and be touching her. But she didn't seem to want that. "I missed you," he told her.

Finally, Jess turned her head so that she was looking at him. He looked tired and worn, and there was an expression on his face that she wasn't familiar with. She recalled that he had had her t-shirt with him when he showed up – and the story as well. Grief. That's what it was. It all explained his uncharacteristic behavior. Jess didn't think he really missed her more than he wanted to fill that void loneliness left. She could certainly sympathize with that. Jess reached out and took Matt's hand in her own. "Yeah, I missed you too."

He squeezed her hand. "We'll figure this out in the morning. We're going to save you, Jessica Drew. I'm not losing anyone else."

The few walls Jess had left crumbled at his words. She closed the distance between them and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm not really sure we can."

He wrapped his arms around her. "We're going to try. And if there's a way, we'll find it. Whatever it takes."

"Ok." Jess agreed. It was easy to believe him when his strong arms were wrapped around her. For the first time in months she finally felt safe enough to just sleep. She pressed herself closer to him and sighed as some of the tension finally left her body. It wasn't long after that she was sound asleep.

Waking up with Jess in his arms, Matt almost believed he had gone back in time, that the last few months hadn't happened. But the sheets were too rough, and his heart still felt heavy. He wished they could stay there. He knew that wasn't an option. He stroked her hair as he listened to her breathe and to the sound of her heartbeat.

"Mmmm." Jess stirred in his arms, the past few hellish months forgotten for the moment. An eye flicked open briefly before she snuggled closer and grazed her teeth lightly along his neck.

He smiled and wished this could last. His arms held her a little tighter. "Hungry?" he whispered.

"Very." Jess purred. "I'm particularly craving a certain lawyer." She kissed just behind his ear as she slid her hand beneath his shirt.

"Lucky you, the lawyer is available." He moved his head to kiss her lips.

Jess let herself sink into that kiss as she moved to straddle him. Both hands were beneath his shirt now, and she pulled away to kiss each bit of exposed skin as she slid it up his chest.

"Jess," he breathed. Part of him felt like he was taking advantage of the situation. Part of him didn't care. But the Catholic in him won out. "Are you sure about this?" He probably could have asked that better, but he was finding it hard to think.

She froze at Matt's words. Her green eyes bore into him – he was clearly aroused, she could tell by the way he was breathing and the look on this face. But his question told her something else. Jess instantly felt guilty. He had just lost someone he had clearly loved and here she was taking complete advantage of him, using him to try and forget the last few months. Matt didn't deserve that. Not after what he had been put through recently. "I'm sorry." She muttered as she pulled herself away from him and off of the bed completely.

"No, I…" He sat up and pinched his nose. "Jess." His hand dropped, and he followed her. Turning her around, he pulled her into a kiss. "I'm not sorry."

Jess stood stiffly for a moment before she allowed herself to sink into his kiss. "Really?" She asked, even as she pressed herself against him.

"Really." His hand cupped her neck the way it had so many times before. He leaned in for another kiss pressing his lips firmly against hers before parting his lips.

It was all the reassurance Jess needed. She opened her mouth for him as he kissed her and once again slid her hands under his shirt. Her hands caressed the muscles underneath as she explored him, using the touch to check for any injuries he may have received in their months apart.

There were a few new ones. None of them stopped him from helping her remove his shirt. He pulled her close again, kissing her with renewed fervor.

Jess returned his kisses with fevered ones of her own, her hands buried in his hair and her hips crushed against his. "Bed." She somehow managed to gasp between kisses.

He picked her up to carry her the short distance. Feeling the material of her pants against his skin, he placed her on the bed and immediately set about removing them. After unfastening the waist, they were pulled off by the cuffs. He climbed on top of her. His lips kissed up her stomach, his tongue pressing against her skin every so often as he helped Jess out of her tank top. His hands found her neck before his mouth did. And then their lips met once again.

Jess used her feet to push his boxers off his hips so that her hands could roam over his back, chest and through his hair. She arched her body into his touch, her gasps of pleasure muffled by his mouth on hers. Her hands finally found his ass, and she gave it a firm squeeze before crushing his hips to hers. Jess shamelessly pressed herself against his hard cock, the only thing between them was the thin cotton of the panties she wore.

A moan poured from both their lips as she slid herself along his length again. It would be too easy to rip those panties off her and take her right then. "Pants. I need my pants." It took all his will power to pull away from her to get them.

Jess leaned over the bed and searched her jacket until she found what she was looking for. "Got one." She crawled back over the bed and pulled Matt to her again. She pressed the condom into his hand as she slid herself out her underwear.

He smiled. "Thank you." He took a breath to calm himself before putting it on. He didn't want nervous fingers making it more difficult. He trailed his lips along her body until he fully covered her. He kissed her as his hands travelled slowly up her leg until he was able to verify what his nose was already telling him. Sure enough, his fingers came back slick as she gasped from his touch. While that smirk of his graced his lips, he pushed into her.

She came undone as soon as he was completely inside her. Jess moaned Matt's name as her body clenched around him, months of tension being released from this one moment.

"Wait for me," he whispered just before scraping his teeth along her jaw. His memories and fantasies paled in comparison to this, to flesh and blood her responding to his touch. He needed her. He needed this. Not just physically but spiritually and emotionally. They were taking as much as they were giving, and that just made it more intense, more profound.

"Always." Jess promised as she found his hand and laced her fingers with his. She had barely recovered from her first orgasm, and she already felt herself building towards another. No other lover had ever come close to satisfying her like Matt did. Jess wrapped her legs around his waist and used them to pull him closer to her, not wanting any space between them.

There was only her and them and the pleasure they gave each other. He tried to fill more of her. His speed increased as did their hearts and breaths. Matt couldn't get enough of her, and he was so close to his release. "Jess," he groaned.

The way he said her name made her shatter into a thousand pieces once more. She came hard, unable to even utter sound as she arched her body into his.

His body shuddered with his own orgasm as he continued to thrust into her. He collapsed on her feeling wonderfully spent and not alone. He kissed her with lips that trembled ever so slightly while fighting back a flood of emotion. Whatever penance he would have to do for this would be worth it. She was worth it.

Jess held him close to her as her body shook with the after-effects of their loving-making. She reached up to wipe at her eyes, surprised when her hands came away wet. Tears streamed down the side of her face as she returned Matt's kisses then nuzzled her face into his neck and breathed him in. She was safe and not alone so long as she had him. A sudden feeling of possessiveness rose inside her, and Jess bit down just hard enough to leave a bruise, marking him as hers.

"Ow?" He chuckled, actually grateful for the pain that pulled him out of his thoughts. "Did I stop too soon?"

"No, it was perfect." Jess gently kissed the bruise that was forming on his neck before she tilted her head to catch his lips with hers. "Thank you." Jess didn't want this to end – she wanted to stay curled up with him like this forever and just let the world pass them by. But they couldn't – it wasn't who they were, and already her mind started to work on their Hydra problem, despite being emotionally drained. With a reluctant sigh she patted his ass and kissed him one more time. "We've got work to do, love."

He groaned but not in a good way this time. He rolled off her and stayed on his back. "Any idea why they're after you? This time?" he added, remembering she had said this wasn't the first time they had come after her.

Jess gave a tiny whimper at the loss of him but quickly rolled over to curl up against him again. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I may or may not have fed the US Government the location of some Hydra bases, and they got wind of it."

"Well, that'll do it." He didn't need to know anything about Hydra. Anyone would be pissed about that. "Can the government help?"

"We have an agreement." If she sounded bitter, it was because she was. "I feed them intel when they ask for it, and they don't put me in jail. And if I die or worse in the process of getting them what they ask for, that's my problem."

"That does not sound like a great deal." Of course he knew he didn't have all of the information. "Why would they put you in jail? No, forget I asked. It doesn't matter. How do we stop these people?" he asked instead.

If only she was an Avenger like Romanoff – she'd have her slate wiped clean. But the one person who could help her with that was adamant about keeping her off that particular team and all to himself. Jess answered the question anyway, feeling the need to be completely honest with him. "Because I'm an international terrorist, Matt. If you knew...oh my God if you knew half the things I've done." An air of melancholy settled over her and she pulled away from him. She didn't deserve him. "And I don't know exactly who it is. I'll figure it out. Or they'll show themselves soon."

"Hey." He moved closer to her. "My college girlfriend was an assassin. I just battled ninjas and a man I killed before. There isn't much that surprises me anymore." He puts a hand on her arm. "You may have been a terrorist, but you aren't a bad person." He kissed her shoulder. "If they are going to show themselves, we should decide where and when, try to get the advantage."

Jess snorted. "Well, I can't really argue with that logic." Though she still didn't think she was as good as he believed she was. Jess turned to face him again, reaching out to stroke his face. "Do you really want in on this? Matt, Hydra makes Ninjas seem like child's play."

"I want you safe. I want me safe. So yes. I really want in on this," he told her. "Tell me what you know. How do they usually operate?"

"Let's just say that whatever you have heard about Hydra on the news or from anyone else is either not true or not even the tip of the iceberg. They're dangerous, and they do terrible, terrible things to people."

"Do we have a chance?" Matt asked though he knew it didn't matter.

She hesitated before responding, "I don't know."

They both pretended it was the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - Jess gets a visit from an old friend.

Chapter 4

Matt and Jess were dressing when he grabbed her arm. "Someone's coming." His brow furrowed with confusion. "Does someone know we're here? He's holding three coffees and a bag of bagels."

Before she could answer, the door opened. "Don't shoot," said a voice familiar to her. A hand appeared holding a container with three coffees. "I come with gifts."

"Fuck you, Nick. You think bringing coffee is going to help me forget you leaving me out in the cold after all the shit I've done for you?" Jess snarled at their visitor. Yes she was rude. No, she didn't care. She put herself between him and Matt, peace offering be damned. Because it was true. He never brought coffee. If anything, she was always the one bringing the coffee. Clearly he was trying to bribe Matt. Asshole.

"I brought bagels, too." He stepped into the room. He was wearing sunglasses, and instead of the long leather coat, he wore a short one over a dark red hoodie. On his head he wore a black skull cap. "Also, you knew what you were getting into when you made that deal. But your revenge was more important than your safety. Is that the lawyer?" He put the bag and drinks on the coffee table.

"Matthew Murdock," he offered behind Jess.

"Nick Fury. Nice to meet you. Only, you never met me. I'm dead." He pulled one of the drinks out of the container. "You take your coffee black, right?"

"Yes." He didn't move though he really wanted that coffee.

Jess didn't say why she didn't care about her safety at the time that particular deal was made. That still hadn't changed, though now she was more open the suggestion. Her stomach growled but she made no move to accept the offered food. Because the minute she did, she was accepting whatever Fury wanted to ask of her. "What do you want, Nick?"

"Well," he sat down and took a bagel from the bag. "Now that I'm dead and not working for SHIELD or any other government agency, my hands are no longer tied." He smeared some cream cheese on the bagel. "I'm here to help." He pulled a folder out of his messenger bag and plopped it on the table.

Matt cocked his head. He moved forward slowly, arm stretched out in front of him to make sure he didn't bump into anything. He made his way to the coffee. "Which one is mine?" he asked when his hands touched the two cups.

"Left," Fury answered as he studied him.

He took the one on the left and carefully drank.

Jess studied Matt as well and the look of affection she briefly flashed in the lawyer's direction would have been missed by anyone but Fury. Her eyes turned to the file he plopped on the table, and her fingers twitched. She itched to know what was in that file, but she refused to give Fury the satisfaction of immediately picking it up. It was a game they always played, and one Jess always lost. "Help." She stated flatly and arched an eyebrow.

"It's about damn time I did, right? Sorry about your apartment by the way." He picked up his bagel. "Suicide bombing is something Hydra has only recently added to their repertoire." He bit into his breakfast.

"Yeah that was a new one." Jess had to admit. Part of her wondered how much of her conversation he had heard her have with Matt. She'd been so tired and caught up in him she hadn't swept the place like she normally would have. It was a SHEILD place, of course it was bugged and even the bugs had bugs, but it was always good to know where they were. "And what would I have to owe you as thanks for you helping me?"

"You heard of the Sokovia Accords?" He knew she had. "What the U.N. isn't telling anyone is that they are using an old SHIELD prison to hold people who they deem criminals because of it. They also haven't told anyone that Steve Rogers broke out every former member of the Avengers they had in there, including your friend Scott Lang." He didn't know if she knew that or not. "What I want is for you to make sure the government doesn't find them. I'd ask Black Widow, but she's under tight scrutiny. You, however, are still unknown to them. Think that's worth you and your lover's lives?"

Jess pursed her lips as she thought of Scott and his little girl back in California. Fuck Fury for doing that to her. Jess didn't even consider Scott a friend, not really. "Surprised the US Government didn't rat me out yet." Jess responded honestly. With the amount of times they threatened to lock her up, you'd think they couldn't wait to be rid of her or for her to drop dead.

Fury shrugged. "The government has their hands full with all of the new Inhumans popping up. You haven't given them a reason to care about you, so they haven't."

The fewer people that cared about her the better. She was learning that now that she had dragged Matt into all this. "Good." She eyed the documents on the table then Fury. "Rogers has Barnes with him. If anyone knows how to hide, it's Barnes." She actually wasn't one hundred percent certain on that, but it made sense that Rogers would have Barnes with him. And Barnes being able to disappear better than anyone? That was from experience.

"And if it were only the two of them, I wouldn't be concerned," Fury said. "But there's also Wilson, Barton, Maximoff, and Lang. Barton and Lang have families. Maximoff is considered dangerous enough to kill on sight. And Wilson, well, he's resourceful, but he doesn't have powers," he explained.

Jess twitched at the mention of Barton. But Fury had her – he knew her better than she knew herself mentioning Barton without bringing attention to it, and it pissed her off. "Fine. Bloody, fucking fine!" Jess threw her hands up in defeat. "I don't even know why I bother. You'll just make me dance like the puppet I am anyway." She wanted to flip the table, but instead just grabbed the folder and began to flip through it.

Fury frowned. The truth was he gave Jess a lot of leeway. He gave her chances no one else would. But if he had to be her villain to get her to do what he knew she wanted to do anyway, that was fine with him. He stood, bagel and coffee in his hands. "If you need me, my number is written on the back of the folder. Otherwise, you know the drill." He looked over at the other man in the room. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Murdock. I was a fan of your dad's. He had a mean right hook."

"Yes he did," Matt agreed as he looked right of where Fury stood.

"You're a fighter yourself. Good work with Mr. Fisk. But be careful. He's not the kind of man who will just go away."

"Yeah. That I already know."

Fury stepped around the table and stopped near Jess. "I don't have to tell you to be careful."

"Get the job done without drawing attention. Yeah I know." Jess rolled her eyes and ignored Fury's frown.

"Know your enemy, strike first, and stay alive," he told her. He gave her one last look then left the way he came in.

Jess stared for several minutes at the door before sinking into her chair with a sigh. She plopped the folder back down on the table before finally reaching for her coffee and taking a sip. "First time he's ever told me to stay alive. Didn't think he cared."

"He seemed pleasant in the eeriest sense of the word." Matt sat at the other end of the couch. "Was he your handler?" They never used to talk about her past. He knew there were gaps in her memory, that she had been used most of her life by various groups, that she didn't like to talk about it. He never pressed, and she never offered. But now he was involved, and he needed to know more.

"He does that." Jess replied then sighed. "I was sent to kill him. Needless to say I did not succeed, and he turned me back at those who sent me. He was able to keep me off the books for a little while but not long. It's complicated."

"He saved you then tried to use you. I have one of those," Matt said as he thought of Stick. "You hate them and love them and resent them and are grateful to them all at the same time."

"Yeah." Jess agreed softly. She reached for a bagel and smothered it in cream cheese, then flipped open the folder again. "Hydra is having a bit of a civil war it would seem." She changed the subject back to their predicament.

His eyebrows rose. "That's interesting. So why are they trying to kill you? Cleaning house? Trying to prove who should lead?"

"A little bit of both. I know too much it would seem. But then, that's nothing new, they've always known that. Usually they just try to seduce me back to their side or wipe my memory. I guess attempts have failed too many times so it's best to just off me." Jess opened her mouth to continue but thought better of it. She shoved more of the bagel into her mouth.

Matt took a moment to process what she said. There was one option in particular that seemed outlandish and awful. "Wipe your memory? Of how much? How many times have they done that?"

Jess shifted and looked at her hands, suddenly not very hungry at all. This wasn't something she really wanted to talk about, but it was Matt who was asking, and if he was in this he deserved to know some of it. "Well I don't remember anything before the age of 18. And after that – I'm not sure. Usually they prefer to wipe it all and start with a blank slate, but I was basically that when I woke up. They had me convinced for a while that I was a spider they turned human though. They liked to remind me that I'm not human."

He reached over and touched her arm. His face was full of concern and pity. "That's…cruel. Beyond cruel." But it made sense, the cultural references she didn't always know. Some he had written off to her being British. But others he couldn't, and now he knew why. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. "You didn't deserve any of that."

Jess saw his pity and didn't want it. Then he was closer, and Jess thought to pull away, but her traitorous body sunk into his embrace instead. She was so, so tired of fighting. "If you say so."

"I know so," he told her. "No one should be treated like that." He kept her close as he considered how they could get her free from this once and for all. "I'd suggest faking your death, but then you'd need a new identity. And what's worse, I'd never get to be with you again unless you got plastic surgery or something. That just seems extreme."

Jess huffed a laugh. "I've thought about it and came to the same conclusion." She had also thought about actually offing herself but didn't voice that to Matt. "Though I did dye my hair, and they couldn't find me for a few months. I still am not sure how that happened." She sighed and ran her hand through said dyed hair. "Honestly the only thing I can think of doing is help the other side destroy the side that wants to kill me. Then I'd only have one Hydra faction after me."

"Makes sense." And it did, but it also worried him. "I'm just wondering… how exactly would you help the don't-kill-Jessica side?"

She pulled away from Matt, once again looking at her hands. "Probably kill a lot of people." Her voice was tinged with remorse already, but she knew there wouldn't be any other way. This was Hydra after all.

A few weeks ago, he would have tried to talk her out of that. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Now he only asked one question. "Is there no hope of rehabilitating any of them the way that you were?"

"Maybe. If they want it. The problem is, if I have to align myself then it's kill them or bring them in to be reprogrammed. If it were me, I'd rather be dead." Jess replied. She looked over at Matt and studied him silently.

His head lowered. He took a deep breath. His voice cracked ever so slightly as he said, "Okay. It's your call. How can I help?" He licked his lips. "How can I help without having to kill anyone myself?" He felt his soul was already in jeopardy. He didn't want to add to his sin. Besides, he was tired of the killing. He wasn't Frank Castle, and he wasn't going to let himself turn into Frank Castle if he could help it.

She stared at Matt as if he had grown three extra heads and was a Hydra himself. "You're not going to try and talk me out of this?" If Jess sounded surprised, it was because she was. There was no other option that she could see, but she was surprised at Matt's reaction. She reached for him so she could lift his head towards hers. "Are you sure you want to help? It's not too late to go make amends with Foggy. I've dealt with them on my own before. I can do it again." She offered him the out one more time.

He leaned against her hand. "I'm sure. I'm not losing you, too."

Jess stroked his cheek with her thumb. He kept saying those words as if she was his to lose. She'd never had anyone willing to fight for her before. It scared her. "I think you're a bloody fool, but I'm happy to have you." She kissed him softly on the lips, then scooted so close to him they were touching. "Let's get that beautiful mind of yours working. I am going to read these to you, and you tell me if anything unusual stands out."

As she read and described the contents of the folder, Matt slowly ate a bagel and drank his coffee. Every so often he'd stop and ask questions – there were things Jess knew that weren't outlined in the folder. They spent the rest of the morning pouring over its contents until Matt's head was swimming with information. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and he sensed Jess looking at him. "I think we should take a break. I need some time to think about it all."

Jess considered him for a moment before she closed the folder and placed it on the coffee table. "Are you hungry?" she asked, her eyes flicking to the clock on the wall and back to Matt. That familiar smirk crossed his face and Jess felt heat pool low in her belly.

That smirk grew wider and he leaned closer to her. "Very. I'm particularly craving a certain Spider." Jess chuckled at having her words from this morning used against her. She grabbed his shirt and sank back into the couch so that his body covered hers. "Well, lucky for you, she happens to be available."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Viper screeched with outrage. The glass she had been holding shattered in her hands. Word had reached her that wayward scientist Holden Radcliff's pet Android Aida had somehow managed to make herself a real girl. In Viper's image. And was calling herself Madame Hydra. The real Madame Hydra grabbed another glass, poured herself a drink and took a long swig of whiskey, enjoying the burn as it went down.

SHEILD – that meddlesome pesky team of Coulson's to be precise (one day she would tell the world he was alive and wouldn't the Avengers fall off their rockers at that news), had managed to put a stop to it. She supposed she should be grateful. It was one less thing to worry about and allowed her to focus on other problems.

A knock at her door distracted her from her thoughts. "What is it?" She snapped as one of her guards entered. Viper turned her chair to face the intruder and immediately straightened. Her foul mood evaporated as she stood to inspect the prisoner who was thrown before her desk. "What do we have here?" She purred, tilting his head to look at hers.

"We found him snooping about outside. He had this with him." The guard handed her what looked to be blueprints and a flash drive. A slow smile spread across her features as their significance became apparent. "Very well done. Let us make sure Radcliff's work wasn't in vain. You know who to put to work on this." She handed the information but gave him a hard look. "You know what will happen if you fail me. Leave us." The guard nodded and left, leaving the Viper with her victim.

"I suppose you are hoping that by bringing me such valuable information you would be granted forgiveness for your betrayal?" She circled around the traitor once, then knelt before him, once again lifting his chin so he could look into her eyes. He was wise enough to remain silent, though his body trembled with fear. "You know what I do to traitors don't you?" This time he nodded the affirmative. Viper stood up and stepped away from him. "You're lucky I am feeling gracious today. There will be no torture for you."

Relief flickered through her captive's features, but the click of a gun caught his attention. "That doesn't mean you won't be punished." A singled gunshot rang out. Viper picked up her phone as she watched blood spread out over her floor. "I need a cleaning crew to my office immediately." She had plans to make.

"Well, Matthew," with emphasis on Matthew, "please offer me another alternative. Because SHIELD is a shit show, and we cannot even have the teeniest thread of hope that they will help. We were lucky Fury managed to get us the intel he did." Jess stood across the coffee table from Matt, her arms crossed. They had been having this argument all afternoon and neither one was budging from their opinions on the matter. "Of our options, me allying with the Hydra faction not actively trying to kill me seems to be the best shot." It was suicidal and idiotic and would probably wind up with her memory wiped, but Jess was tired of sitting around and they hadn't even been in hiding for 48 hours.

"That doesn't mean you need to offer your services to Hydra," he told her. He rubbed his forehead in frustration. This wasn't at all how he had imagined his reunion with Jess would go. "You said yourself they couldn't be trusted. We should call the police or the FBI or whatever is left of the Avengers."

Jess laughed a bit hysterically. "Hydra has people in the FBI. And the only Avenger I'd trust to help us is the Black Widow, and she's disappeared." Actually, Jess was fairly certain Nat was halfway to Wakanda right now if her sources were correct. Jess dropped her arms and sighed, some of the fight draining out of her. "Look, this is really the only viable option. I can't risk Hydra getting their hands on you. Better to be able to barter your safety, and I'll worm my way back out again. I've done it before." Once. And with help. But she wasn't going to let Matt know that. She'd rather be branded a traitor than risk him.

He took her hand. "You shouldn't have to. I told you I'd help, and I will." He'd rather put on the suit again than lose her.

Jess briefly squeezed his hand, taking note of how callused they were. Just as much as her own. She couldn't figure out how much of Matt's insistence on helping her was due to the current events in his own life. He had managed to push everyone away, and yet instead of trying to get his family back he was intent on helping her. Jess thought he might have a death wish. It was something she was intimately familiar with. "Matt, you shouldn't be wasting your time on me. You should be trying to fix things with Foggy."

"Foggy is better off without me," he insisted. He pressed his lips together. "Is there anything I can say to make you change your mind?" He listened to her pulse to hear what was really in her heart.

"And you are better off without me!" Jess threw up her hands and stamped her foot, which caused little sparks of green electricity to sizzle across the floor. "Don't you see? I've put you on Hydra's radar. You are more than capable of defending yourself, but if they haven't figured out who you are yet they will. It's only a matter of time, and they will use you against me or worse. Just let me go." Jess' heart thundered in her chest, and she felt grief settle at the pit of her stomach. If Matt truly, truly had no one else, it would be different. But it wasn't – he had people other than her who would miss him if the worst happened.

It was truth. It was another rejection, another loss. He had suffered so many lately. "Fine." His voice was quiet but hard. He had to keep it hard to stop himself from falling apart. "If that's what you want, fine." He stood and grabbed his things, stuffing them into his bag.

Jess rushed over to Matt and pulled the bag out of his hands. She grabbed him by the arms and turned him to face her. She was tempted, briefly, to use her pheromones on him but that wouldn't make it easier. "You are not leaving yet. I need you to stay here another few days to be sure Hydra won't mess with you. Ok? Promise me this one thing? Otherwise it all falls apart."

Matt felt like he was being put through the ringer. He took a heavy breath. "Fine. I'll stay. Whatever you want." He grabbed his glasses and forced them onto his face.

"I want you stay here until it's all clear and then fix things with Foggy." He did say whatever she wanted. That didn't keep her heart from shattering into millions of tiny pieces though. Jess closed the distance between them again and pushed his glasses back atop his head. She blinked hard several times as tears threatened but she spoke anyway. "Matt, I'm sorry, but we both know I'm right." She paused and took a breath. "I- Thanks for everything. I won't forget any of it." She pressed a kiss to his lips, trying to convey everything she felt for her lawyer into it. It was brief, she didn't wait to see if he would kiss back. With that Jess stepped away, grabbed her jacket and glasses, then headed for the door.

"How do I know when I can go home?" he called after her as he pulled his glasses back down. His lips already missed her.

Jess paused and took a breath. "Three days. Please don't look for me." She responded, a bit pleased that her voice only a shook a little. With that, she opened the door and slammed it behind her.

Matt sank onto the sofa. He snatched the glasses off his face and threw them across the room. He took a few slow breaths to get his temper under control then made a decision. He'd follow her from a safe distance, keep an eye on her. He grabbed a jacket and his glasses. Luckily, they hadn't broken. He put both on, grabbed his stick, and headed out the door after her.

Ten minutes later he was back. He slammed the door behind him in frustration at having lost her so quickly. Hell, he had lost her before he even stepped out the door.

Jess landed on one of the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge and waited. She stared over the river below and tried to control the emotions swirling through her. She stayed that way for some time until she heard steps behind her. She turned to find Fury, her voice only cracking a little. "Why does it hurt? I did the right thing – doing the right thing isn't supposed to hurt."

"You're kidding, right?" His hands remained in his pockets. "Doing the right thing usually hurts. That's because doing the right thing requires sacrifice," he reminded her. "He seems like a nice guy."

His words stung, made her feel stupid. But she didn't look away from him until he mentioned Matt. "Yeah, he's better than most." He was better than all of them – but then, her experiences with people would horrify most. She looked back at him and changed the subject. "How do you want to play this?"

"Carefully," he replied. "Seems to me you got three options. You run. You fight. Or you use what they taught you against them." He let those sink in before continuing. "If you run, you'll be running forever. If you fight, you'll need an army. I don't know about you, but I don't have one of those. So that just leaves infiltration. And that is very, very dangerous." Not that he needed to tell her that. "But you already figured that out. So why ask me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I was hoping you gleaned more intel." She replied, though an edge had crept into her voice. She knew better – he had told her everything he could or wanted to tell her. And if she were to be completely honest with herself for once in her life, she was hoping he'd show the same level of concern she'd seen him show his Avengers. But Jess knew he wouldn't. He'd kept her off to the side and didn't really let anyone know of her existence unless it suited him and whatever game he was playing. Jess was tired of being used as a pawn in other peoples' games.

"I was hoping that, too, but I don't have the resources I once had," he reminded her. He seemed to be looking out over the city, but behind his sunglasses he was watching her. "You were always good at thinking outside the box. Maybe you see a fourth option my limited sight is making me miss."

"I guess I could save everyone the trouble and just off myself." Jess only half joked as she looked at the river below.

"And let Hydra win? Nah," he retorted. "You've got too much pride for that. Not to mention it'd break your pretty boy lawyer's heart."

And just like that, a fourth option popped into Jess' head. "I doubt that," was all she said. She didn't want to think that Matt cared for her like that. He didn't. They hardly knew each other. He had loved Elektra – there was no way he would mourn for her like that. Besides, she was fairly certain he'd find his way back to Foggy and Karen. And probably get with Karen. You had to be an idiot to not see how the secretary felt for him.

Her look of certainty worried Fury. Jess was unpredictable, which made her good. But she also had a tendency to do rash things, dangerous things, things that could get her killed. He turned his head toward her. "Jess, what are you planning?"

Jess ignored the question. "I'll leave any intel I get in the usual drop points." She was sure there would be intel. Hydra was always up to something. So she would play nice for awhile, figure out what they were up to, and then put the rest of her plan into motion. Easy.

He was still feeling uneasy. "Not good enough," he decided. "I want you checking in every three days. You miss a check-in, I'm getting you out. Understand?"

That got her blood to boil a little. "Why, you think I can't do it?" Of course he didn't.

"If I didn't think you could do it, I would first try to dissuade you. And when that didn't work, I'd make you check in every damn day," he told her. "There's only two people in the world I think can do it. You're one of them." He studied her a moment. "If things get…dicey, you can tell them I'm alive. Be sure to remind them what an asshole I am. That'll help sell you wanting to help them." It was a sacrifice, but if it helped keep her alive, it'd be worth it.

Jess arched an eyebrow at that. "If I knew better, I'd think you cared." She responded drily. "Fine every three days." She agreed, knowing that he had meant what he said about making her check in everyday.

He nodded. "Good luck, Drew." With that, he turned and walked to the tower door, disappearing within it.

 **Authors' Notes:**

Please Review! We'd love to hear your feed back!

1\. Knowledge of the later portion of Agents of SHIELD Season 4 will be helpful going forward (though none of the Agents show up, hence why no AOS Tag.).  
2\. This chapter and the next I think are slightly shorter than the previous ones. We will try to make it up to you!  
3\. In the course of our plotting, this story has gone a bit darker than we had anticipated, but M2BE and I are going to roll with it. If you guys have any questions or concerns, leave a comment! We'd love to hear from you! - Senisra


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for Reading! Please review and let us know what you think!

Chapter 6

Viper smiled at the news as she sat back in her tufted leather chair. Another of her enemy's bases had been destroyed. "Don't bother trying to take credit for it," she told the messenger. "That has Jessica Drew written all over it. If we wait long enough, our little Spider will do all the heavy lifting for us." She touched the pendant at her chest. She missed her Spider. No matter who she tried (and she had tried many), no one could come closer to her beautiful, deadly Spider.

A thought occurred to her. If they waited long enough, perhaps her Spider could be brought back into the fold. It was an opportunity that couldn't be wasted. No one knew Jessica Drew's weaknesses better than she. Yes, it was only a matter of time – and then her Spider would be in her grasp again.

Jess sat atop the gables of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia. It had been three weeks since Jess had left Matt. Three weeks since she stopped running and took the fight to Hydra's door. Three weeks and four bases along the east coast that she had infiltrated and destroyed. The first two had been easy. The others, not as much since they knew to expect her now. All the bases were on high alert – Jess had been lucky she hadn't been caught so far, but she wasn't an idiot. It was only a matter of time before she was either captured or killed.

Two days ago, Fury told her she was being reckless and sloppy. Jess didn't really care anymore. The heat was off Matt, and that's what she cared about. He had resumed picking up the pieces of his life according to Fury. That was good. He was better off without her. It made the ache in her chest every time she thought of him easier to ignore.

Jess looked out over the Delaware River as she made her plans. This faction of Hydra that had put the bounty on her head had headquarters here – it was too tempting for her to not strike it. Her plan of attack so far had been random. She had gotten a myriad of Intel from the other bases, but she wanted to keep them guessing as to where she would pop up next. Jess was fairly certain that was the only reason she was alive now.

For the first time, she considered waiting to meet with Fury tomorrow and ask for any back up he could provide. She'd still need to do some recon though – Fury would be pissed if she asked for help and didn't have any more information to give him. Mind made up, Jess jumped off the bridge and caught the wind, gliding towards the city. Maybe she would get a cheesesteak first.

Far away, Viper watched her descent on a tv screen. She knew of her Spider's love of bridges and had each one under surveillance. And now she knew where Jess would strike next. She smiled in anticipation. Her Spider had done good work so far, taking out the opposing faction's bases. She hadn't even bothered to cover her tracks. Oh, her daughter was so predictable. Soon, Jess would be hers again and this time she wouldn't let her get away.

Matt woke up earlier now that he didn't have his night-time hobby anymore. He didn't even have Jess to make those nights feel less lonely. Sometimes he would go to the roof and listen, trying to pick out her voice from among the multitudes. He knew it was a waste of time. She had as many people to talk to as he did. Maybe less.

In the three weeks since they had said goodbye, he cleaned up his apartment a little, started taking small cases from there. He couldn't afford the office. He could only afford the apartment because of the neon.

It was a long three weeks. There were days he didn't want to get out of bed. This was actually one of them, but he had a client coming over at 11 to prepare for. So he forced himself out of bed and into the shower. It helped. But then he didn't want to get out of the shower. He took a long breath of the warm moist air. His hand reached out and shut off the water. He took another breath before pulling aside the shower curtain.

He dried his face and arms before wrapping the towel around his waist. That's when he noticed the person walking up the hallway outside. At first he thought they were visiting his neighbor across the way, but then he heard leather against leather. He quickly dried and put on some underwear and trousers, finishing before the man turned toward his door.

"I thought people in this part of the city would have more locks on their doors." Fury remarked after letting himself in.

Matt rushed in while pulling on a shirt. "No but they do knock and wait to be invited before entering." He places his glasses over his eyes. "You're Jess' friend, right?"

Fury raised his eyebrows and dropped a duffle bag on the couch, then took a seat himself. "I wouldn't say friend, but yes I am the same person you met three weeks ago." He took a sip of his coffee. "Unless I'm not. You should know."

He fastened his shirt starting at the second button from the top and worked his way down. He swallowed down the nervousness that had come. "Did something happen to Jess?" After all, why would Jess' handler be here unless it was bad news?

"Not sure. Haven't heard from her in a few days." Fury responded. Four days as a matter of fact, but he wasn't ready to let Matt know that yet. She was only a day late – it could be she was stretching her leash. "I think this might belong to you." He patted the bag next to him.

"What is it?" He knew exactly what it was, but if he admitted it, this man would have lots of questions. That was assuming Fury hadn't looked in the bag. Which from what Jess told him, he probably had. Still, if that were the case Matt could pretend ignorance.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what it is. Color suits Jess well enough, but certainly not the cut she wears." Fury took another sip of his coffee. He had to admire the lawyer's stubborness. No wonder Jess liked him.

Matt shrugged. He listened to the man's heartbeat, tried to get a read on what his emotional state was. He got nothing. "Was there something else? I've got a client coming in soon."

"Heard there's some interesting shit going down on the lower east side. But I know you've never left Hell's Kitchen, so you're probably not interested." With that Fury stood up and headed to the door.

"I'm not," Matt called to him. He wasn't. He had enough going on without someone wanting him to investigate 'interesting shit'.

Fury paused. "I can't help but feel you would be if it was Ms. Drew offering instead of me." And with that he left.

Matt stood there with his hands on his hips. He had no idea why Fury came to him, and he'd be damned if he started working for the guy. He grabbed his bag and pulled out the Daredevil suit. That's when he heard him – Fury out in the hall speaking barely above a whisper.

"'Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.' "

The words hurt Matt's heart. Was he making the right decision? The costume he held in his hands had cost him everything. Did God really want more? It was something he had already discussed with Father Lantom. It was something he knew he'd be discussing again. He took a breath and put the Daredevil suit back in the trunk where he believed it belonged.

Jess sat on the floor of her cell, trying not to have flashbacks to her early Hydra days. The cell was sterile and white. She couldn't even see the seam of the door, though she knew there was one somewhere. She was in a tank top and yoga pants. Who knew where her glasses and jacket had gotten to. Her neck, wrists and legs were shackled with what she assumed was vibranium. Try as she might, she couldn't break it. Hell, she could hardly move. And whatever the hell was on the walls made it really hard for her to stick to them. And she stuck to everything. It all reeked of one person and it wasn't the person whose bases she had spent the last few weeks destroying.

She wasn't even sure how she had gotten here in the first place. The last thing she remembered was gliding over Philly and then feeling as if she had gotten struck by lightning. Clearly, Thor hadn't returned to earth. That would have been amazing compared to the predicament she was in now. Jess wasn't about to give them satisfaction of looking terrified, thought she felt it. This was the last place she wanted to be. She looked around the cell one more time, finally spotting what she was looking for. Raising her wrists, she made an obscene gesture at the camera, hoping to provoke who she thought was likely watching. Jess wanted that confirmed – it would help her better plan her escape. She couldn't count of Fury to dig her out of every tight spot.

A disembodied voice, familiar in its coldness, chastised her. "Now, Jessica, we taught you better than that." Viper. Well that confirmed her suspicions. Who knows how long that woman had been watching her. Who was she kidding? The woman never stopped watching her.

"Fuck you, you bloody twat!" Jess shouted at the camera. It probably wasn't wise to antagonize her tormentor, but given her current situation, she needed to vent some of her frustration somehow.

"Is that any way to talk to the person who loves you most in all the world?" she purred. "I've been so patient. And now you're back as I always knew you would be." Viper used her finger to pet the image of Jessica Drew on her screen.

She couldn't help but shiver in a twisted combination of fear, hatred, and desire. Horrible things happened when Viper used that tone. Jess swallowed and took a breath to compose herself. "You don't love me."

A moment later, the door she couldn't see before opened. Viper stepped into the room. The green tones in her hair were accentuated by her green form-fitting uniform, though most uniforms did not have a halter top nor include green opera gloves. She stepped to the side allowing the door to close while remaining out of Jessica's reach. She crouched down, knees spread, to talk to her spider at her level. "I've always loved you."

"You don't even know what love is." Jess shot back, her words edged with venom. She ignored the fact that she really didn't know what love was either, though an image of her blind lawyer briefly flashed through her mind. At least she had been smart enough to figure out long ago that what Viper had considered love wasn't anywhere close to normal.

Viper rose and slowly walked over to her, carefully placing one heeled boot in front of the other. "You're thinking about your sweet, innocent lawyer, aren't you? He doesn't love you, Jessica. How could he?" She stopped in front of her prisoner and bent over. The backs of her fingers lightly stroked her cheek. "He doesn't know you. Not like I do." She moved her head to whisper in her ear. "No one knows you like I do."

Jess inhaled sharply as her whole body tensed at that touch. She closed her eyes, as if trying to ward off the poison that Viper was dripping into her ears. Except this time, she was right. Matt didn't love her – he was clinging to her because he thought she was all he had left. Someone warm to cling to in order to keep the loneliness at bay. That's all he had been to her – at least she had tried to tell herself that. But somewhere along the way she had started to care. And look where that had gotten him? Now more than ever, Jess knew she had made the right choice, but that didn't make facing the facts hurt any less. Tears pricked her eyes, but she ignored them. "I hate you."

"Love. Hate. It's all the same, little spider." Viper's fingers drifted lower and slid along her jaw. "It's all passion." Her finger moved to the underside of her chin. "No one loves you as I do. And no ones feels as passionately for me as you." She smiled in triumph as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Jess' green eyes simmered with a mixture of fear and loathing even as heat pooled in her belly from the Viper's touch. She stared silently at the woman who made her life a living a hell for years. She would find a way out of this, even if it was in a body bag. Jess considered her response to the woman's word and opted to spit at her right in the eye.

Viper barely moved. She grabbed Jess' shirt and wiped the spit from her eye with it. "I see you need time." She straightened up. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon." She turned on her heel and sauntered to the door. It opened before she got to it, allowing her to walk through without breaking her stride.

The last thing Jess saw was Viper reach into her pocket and pull out a device. Lightning coursed through her body, making her scream in agony before everything went mercifully black.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Please review and us know what you think!

Chapter 7

Matt pushed Fury's visit out of his mind. He was worried about Jess, but that was nothing new. He had been worried about Jess since she left him. But Fury must have triggered something subconsciously, because that night Matt had his worst nightmare yet.

He knew it was a dream as he was having it. Or maybe he just hoped it was.

He was walking home from court where he had been trying a case against Foggy. The trial wasn't part of the dream, but he knew that's where he was coming from. It hadn't gone well. He could feel the tension in his shoulders as he loosened his tie.

"Matthew."

He stopped in his tracks as the blood drained from his face. "Elektra?" He turned his head trying to find the source among the throng of people.

"Matthew."

"Jess." The streets around him were empty. He wasn't even sure he was outside anymore. He couldn't feel the sun. He couldn't feel anything but a chill running up his spine.

"Matthew, you said you'd help me." The voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"Jess." He turned to find her. "Jess! Jessica!"

"I trusted you."

He shook his head. If she had trusted him, she wouldn't have left him. Or had she trusted him to find her, and he had failed. His chest felt tight. He turned again trying to locate her.

"I needed you."

"I'm here!"

"It's too late." Her voice was tired and wet.

"No. No!" He turned frantically trying to find her. There was only darkness. He felt a touch on his left arm.

"Matthew," the voice whispered in his right ear. "You let me die."

"I didn't."

"You had a chance." The voice was fading. It seemed to be coming from above. "Matthew."

Matt turned his face up and felt a drop of something cold and sticky. "Jess?" His shaky voice was enough to give him an image – a woman slowly twirling as she hung by her ankle from the ceiling, like an upside down ballerina or a Cirque du Soleil performer. Her arms were out - flying, accepting, welcoming. Another drop landed just below his eye. That's when the stench hit him. He dropped to his knees gagging and making the sign of the cross. The dead had a distinct odor, and it's all he could smell. "It's not you."

"I loved you," the voice said. It was coming from above breathy and ethereal.

"No. No no no. Please, God, no."

"Matthew, we'll see you in hell."

He sat up gulping for breath. Two voices. There had been two voices saying the last sentence. He had loved them both. He had failed them both. No. Not yet. Not yet. He could still save Jess.

Matt stepped out of the cab on the lower east side but didn't know where to go after that. It was all Fury had mentioned. "Interesting shit in the lower east side," he muttered to himself. He decided to find an alley and a way to get on top of a building. Hopefully he'd be able to hear something from up there.

It didn't take long for him to get up to a roof. He crouched down and listened, doing his best to sort through the everyday sounds of the early morning.

Three blocks over, two men were getting out of a van parked in front of an office building. The driver complained, "I don't know man. There was an outage last night. This new project of the boss' is usin' a lot of power. It's back on now but she wants us to make sure that doesn't happen again. Too big a risk if we lose power on this thing again. Gotta iron out all the kinks."

The other tech laughed. "Heh. Kinks. I heard the boss has lots of – OW! Whaddya do that for?!"

"You fuckin' moron, she's got ears everywhere. Just shut up and work." The two continued talking about more mundane things as they entered the building.

Well that seemed promising. There didn't seem to be anything else interesting going on.

Matt climbed down the building. This wasn't his neighborhood, and he felt out of place here. The sooner he figured this out, the better.

He found the voices again and headed to them. He held his stick in one hand and had the other in the pocket of his black jacket. He probably should have worn his suit in case he needed to meet a client or something, but he couldn't put one on after that nightmare.

The men were in a large building that practically crackled with electricity. He could hear them complaining about their backs and their boss, the usual stuff. Matt was sure their complaining would eventually turn to their significant others.

Someone with normal sight would be able to look at the number on the building, walk to the corner, and find out the street. He had to be a little more creative. After taking a breath, he walked up to the building sweeping the ground with his stick. He made a small show of finding the front door. Then he headed inside.

"Hello?" he called.

"Hello. Can I help you?" A professionally perky voice responded just in front of Matt. Clearly, this was some sort of secretary.

He smiled in a way he hoped was charming. "Yes. I hope so. Is this 35 Essex Street? I'm supposed to meet a friend, but I got all turned around. And I left my phone at home." He sighed. "It hasn't been my best morning."

"Oh, I know how that is." The receptionist responded in the same tone she greeted him in. "This is 31 Essex. 35 is two buildings over. Turn left when you walk out the door."

"Thank you so much, Ms…"

"Davis." The receptionist supplied politely. She looked at the security guard briefly then returned to her computer. "At least that one didn't ask too many questions." She muttered under her breath so that only she could hear (or so she thought).

He assumed she was just busy since she'd think he wouldn't be able to see the movement. "Thank you, Ms. Davis. Have a nice day." He turned around and walked back out the door as he wondered how many others had come to the building asking questions. Outside, he took a left and didn't pull out his phone until he was in front of building 35. Only then did he ask his phone what was at 31 Essex Street.

According to his phone, the building was owned by Transia Corporation, a technology company. Matt didn't recognize the name. This was something he was going to have to research further.

But first he needed to be sure of something.

Sneaking into an alley, he climbed up a fire escape to the roof.

He crouched, listening to the sounds around him, searching for the one voice he needed to find. "Come on, Jess," he murmured. "Say something."

All that could be heard were the swear words of the technicians as they continued to work on whatever they had been hired to do. A guard walked up to them. "You lot done with this shit yet? Boss needs to tweak the system for some project she needs to do. Can't do it 'til your dumbasses reinforce the power. She was pissed she almost lost her subject."

"Tweak? Last time she tweaked the system, she almost fried the whole thing."

"We'll be done today," the other worker promised. "End of day."

"Ya know, would take a load off this place if the other locations were actually work-" the complainer was cut off as the guard wrapped a hand around his throat.

"Do not concern yourself with the other locations. Understood?"

"Yeah sir." he sputtered.

"Good." He let the complainer drop and stalked away.

So there were other locations. Matt made a mental note to see what other buildings this Transia Corporation owns. Then he'd come back here tomorrow to see who this subject was. He doubted it would be Jess. He didn't get that lucky anymore. But maybe it would be someone who could lead him to Jess. That would be enough.

There was a lot that could be learned from legal papers, particularly involving corporations. There were incorporation papers to submit, trademarks to file, taxes to pay. Transia Corporation was no exception.

The tech startup was another Silicon Valley success story. Some college kids with nothing but a garage and a couple of massive loans from their beloved parents came up with an exoskeleton. It was originally part of a school project and was meant to help the brother of one whose back had been broken in a car accident.

Transia started to make great strides. But before it could release a product, Rowan Hamilton and Gideon Malick bought the company. Both were now deceased. There has been an interim CEO running the company ever since. All pretty dry. But the interesting thing was that Gideon Malick used to be on the World Security Council. He was also assigned to the Advanced Threat Containment Unit (ATCU), a government entity created to deal with the "Inhuman" problem. After the Triskelion incident in D.C., the ATCU was exposed as being one of many entities that had Hydra agents within it.

Long story short, the company that owned the building was owned by someone who was likely part of Hydra.

Matt didn't know who the boss' 'subject' was, but he knew he needed to save them. Now he just needed to figure out how to get in touch with Fury. He considered either putting a plant on his window sill or using masking tape to make an X on his window. Then he remembered that Jess had programed Fury's number into his phone. Now he just needed to remember what name she had used.

It was a phrase. A movie. A really stupid sounding movie. He chuckled when he remembered it.

"Call 'Snakes on a Plane'." He felt stupid just saying it.

"So, you decided to help out after all, Murdock." Fury answered on the second ring. It wasn't a question and there wasn't even a hello.

Matt barely notices. "I found some information. I'd like to pass it along."

"Pick a rooftop to meet me at in four hours. I'll find you." The line went dead.

He imagined Jess laughing at him and doing an 'I told you so' about Fury. He decided to go to the old office where Nelson & Murdock used to be. It was easy enough to get to the roof. Then he sat and listened.

Matt didn't have to wait long. "So, what you got Murdock?" Fury whispered from a dark corner of the rooftop.

"31 Essex Street," he began without moving or acknowledging the other man. "It's a building owned by Transia Corporation which has ties to Hydra. They're upgrading the power to be able to handle a lot. More than a lot." He listened to the steady heartbeat of the spy. "They've got some sort of new tech. The boss is itching to use it on someone, a subject, no name given. And the boss is a woman, which means it isn't Transia's interim CEO." He wondered if he knew all this already. "Whatever they're doing there, it's being replicated at other locations. I'm waiting for electrical usage records to try to locate those."

"Not bad Murdock." Was all Fury responded. Murdock had only confirmed what Fury's other sources had told him. But the fact the Murdock got it without quite all the resources he had was impressive. "The woman is Madam Hydra, also known as the Viper. Murdock – be careful going forward. She has a fondness for poisons, and unlike Drew, you are not immune to them."

He turned his head toward him then. "Going forward? Pretty sure this is where I let the professionals handle things."

"You mean professional. Singular. I don't have the resources I used to. Dead, remember?"

"You don't have contacts you can tip off anonymously? A dead guy and a blind guy do not make for much of a team."

"Unfortunately, no one I would trust with as sensitive a matter as this. But, because of your relationship to Drew and considering how she feels about you – " Fury drifted off, leaving Matt to complete the rest of the sentence himself.

"I'm just a lawyer," Matt responded evenly. "Whatever I may have been before, I'm just a lawyer now." He wanted so much to remain just a lawyer.

"Is that so? And that's what you really want right now? To remain a lawyer despite what you know?" Fury tilted his head and squinted at Murdock, the expression would be lost on the lawyer.

"It's what's best for everyone," he insisted. "I'm not a spy. I'm not Captain America. If these people are as bad as Jess says, I'm no match for them."

"Didn't take you for a quitter Murdock." Fury sounded disappointed. "You know, despite all she's been through, Drew is pretty spot on with her assessment of people. First time she's been wrong."

"I was a different person then." He actually thought he could help people with violence while dressed in a red suit. "I wouldn't even know where to start with this."

"Bullshit. What the hell do you think you've been doing?" He shook his head. "I'd beat some sense into you, but I need you to see the job through. Jess' life could very well depend on it. So stop your pity party and meet me tonight on the roof of the building behind it. Once you confirm the subject is Drew, we'll assess the situation and decide on our next move."

The words stunned Matt speechless. He stood there as Fury turned and walked away. Jess was right. The man gave no room to say no.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Smut below! Also I had some trouble with formatting so I just put in some extra enters. Hopefully it make it less confusing.  
**

 **A Day In The Life**

Jess woke to sunlight streaming through the windows and someone warm curled up against her back. She sighed and pressed herself against him, content to enjoy a few moments of peace before having to start their day.

That's when the voice she hated started up. "Seven o'clock. Seven o'clock."

Matt groaned before reaching over and shutting off the alarm with a slap from his hand. "Maybe I should skip court and play hooky with my amazing wife." He turned, his eyes focusing beyond her as they always did. It didn't matter though, because his grin was amazing. He felt for her hand. "What do you think?"

She gave her husband's hand a squeeze as she shifted a bit so she could kiss those beautiful lips. "As lovely as that sounds, I-" Jess lost track of thought and sighed softly as Matt let go of her hand to cup her breast. She continued after a moment, her voice a little husky. "I cannot play hooky. Today Mayor Sarkissian has decided to pay me a visit."

He sighed dramatically. "I guess I really should go to court." He sat up and stretched before he got out bed. "Care to conserve water?" he asked as he made his way to the bathroom.

"I always approve of water conservation." Jess responded as she enjoyed the site of her husband's ass, then took a moment to stretch herself. She made her way into the bathroom just as the hiss of the shower started. "Besides, you should clean up that mess you made last night." Jess whispered huskily into his ear as she wrapped her arms around him.

"What mess? I don't see any mess?" He felt for then slapped her ass playfully.

"You don't see anything." Jess laughed as she climbed into the shower. "Now about conserving water, hmm?"

He followed her in and immediately pulled her into a kiss. He had no idea how he got lucky enough to marry this amazing woman, a woman his best friend Foggy told him was "smokin' hot" on more than one occasion. "I adore you, District Attorney of New York."

"And I love you." She returned the kiss with passion, counting her blessings that she had managed to win the heart of someone like Matthew. He was one of, if not the, best lawyer in the city – hell probably even the state of New York. Everyone thought twice before going up against him. But underneath the asshole lawyer exterior was a man with a heart of gold. It had just taken Jess awhile to see it. "Maybe we should get dirty before we clean up, hmm?" She purred as she put her back against the wall and wrapped a leg around his hips to pull him towards her.

"I love the way you think, Mrs. Murdock." He kissed her hungrily, hands roaming along her body so he could "see" her.

Jess sighed and tilted her head back as he nibbled at her neck. She could feel his arousal against her thigh. "Matthew, please..." She begged as she lifted her leg a little higher and pressed herself against him.

Matt took the hint and finally pushed himself inside of her, taking her as deep as he could.

The warm water washed over them as they made love. They'd been trying for a child. Ever since they decided that, Matt had been treating Jess' body like a sacred temple. Even as he had her pressed against the cold shower tile, she could feel his love in every touch and every kiss.

She wrapped her arms more tightly around him, as if trying to pull his entire body inside hers. His thrusts became more insistent, deeper, and it wasn't long before Jess tipped over the edge, his name on her lips. Matt followed half a heartbeat later, his cock buried deep inside her as he found his release.

Jess' head gently thudded against the shower tiles as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. "Do you know how amazing you are, Mr. Murdock?" She purred happily as she pulled him into a kiss.

"Must be pretty amazing to have you agree to marry me." He kissed her once more before he got to actually getting them cleaned. He was in charge of soaping them up. She was in charge of making sure they were well-rinsed.

He took half the time getting ready as she did, mostly because half her time was spent helping him pick out a suit and tie. And she always tied his tie, making sure it was straight. Then he'd make breakfast while she finished getting herself ready.

Coffee, scrambled eggs cooked in a cast-iron skillet, English muffins with butter and jam. His presentation wasn't great, but the food was excellent. "Honestly, they're scrambled eggs. Yet you make them taste like food from the gods. It isn't fair."

"You can thank my dad. He loved scrambled eggs." It was one of several ways he still honored his father. He had already broached the subject of naming a boy after him. "My offer to teach you still stands."

Jess smiled softly as he mentioned his dad. She loved hearing Matt speak of him, with such obvious love and respect. She took his hand and leaned closer to him. "You did teach me. They're still nowhere near the perfection you cook up." She gave his hand a squeeze and kissed him on the cheek. "We're going to be late."

"Can't have that," he said with affection and pride. He put their dishes in the sink to deal with later. "Are you driving or taking transportation?" He slipped his jacket on as he headed to the door where his satchel sat in its usual place.

"Transportation. Last thing I need is another ticket for 'Aggressive Driving'." Jess scoffed. That ticket had been a load of bull. Mainly because the cop who had pulled her over had tried to ask her out, and Jess had to wave her wedding ring in his face in order to get him to back off. She may have also flipped him the bird, but the gesture couldn't be proven in court.

She grabbed her purse and gave Matt a once over – straightening his jacket and tie (again). Satisfied that Matt was nothing short of perfectly handsome (which wasn't hard), she offered him her arm. "Shall we?"

His grip on it tightened ever so slightly. "We shall. You sure I look presentable?" he teased.

"Perfectly. The paisley tie goes extremely well with the polka dot shirt. And the clown shoes were a stroke of brilliance, in my opinion." She moved closer to him as they entered the crowded sidewalk and headed towards the subway.

He grinned, and Jess' breath caught at how it lit up his face. She would never tire of making him smile. "I'm just so grateful you won't let me out of the house looking like a fool. And these clown shoes are so roomy."

"You are the most handsome man on the planet, Matthew Murdock, and I love you." She stopped him in the middle of the sidewalk, unable to keep herself from kissing him. "Clown shoes and all."

"Thank you."

Before they were able get to the subway turnstiles, they had to go through a government checkpoint. Matt hated these things. He pulled out his ID to show the police and could hear Jess doing the same. This time was different though. When the police saw Jess' credentials, they became deferential. They called her Mrs. Murdock and apologized for the inconvenience. They were even escorted to the turnstiles. Once they were on the subway platform, Matt leaned in close and said, "Was that because of your meeting with the Mayor? Think we can skip the line next time?" he teased.

Jessica smirked, "Perhaps. Though I don't want to push it. Or ruffle feathers." They boarded the train, and Jess was forced to practically stand on top of Matt it was so crowded. Somehow, she didn't think he cared. She briefly debated whispering naughty things into his ear but refrained herself. He had a case to win today. That didn't stop her from snorting to herself in amusement. "Our stop is next, Love."

"Thank you." He relied on her to get him through the crowd and off the train. "How are you feeling?" he asked when they finally got outside.

Jess regarded her husband for moment before she lowered her voice so only he could hear her, "Nervous. To the point where my stomach is unsettled." Nervous was not an unfamiliar feeling with Jessica. She felt like that a lot of the time. The upset stomach that accompanied it was. "I'm unsure as to why she would want to come visit me."

"Maybe because you're amazing at your job." He gave her arm a squeeze. "You're the one DA I hate having to go up against."

"That's because you know I would win." She joked back, but his faith in her settled her nerves. She kissed his cheek before dropping his arm when they reached the steps of the courthouse. "Good luck in court today. I'm not sure how long I'll be with Mayor Sarkissian, but don't be surprised if I'm late coming home tonight."

"I won't." He hesitated. "Just don't disappear on me, okay?" He said it as though it were a joke, but both knew he was serious. People tended to disappear, particularly people who spoke out against the government. Neither of them did, but they were prominent enough that a jealous acquaintance or coworker might accuse them. Matt and Jess agreed on a signal in case that ever happened. They would call or text a simple phrase – 'We need more avocados'.

"I'll be fine. Go win you court case." She gave his hand one last squeeze before she turned and headed up the stairs towards her office.

Jess had time to settle in and get herself another cup of coffee before Mayor Sarkissian was scheduled to arrive.

The Mayor arrived late, but what an entrance she made. She wore an impeccably tailored green pantsuit with a black bustier that accentuated her breasts. Her hair had dark green highlights and was worn loose to her shoulders. Her lips were green and shiny in the artificial lights. She smiled and offered her hand. "Ms. Drew."

Jess stared for a moment as the Mayor approached. There was no denying that the woman was beautiful, and Jess suddenly felt inferior. Not a feeling she liked to have. Realizing what she was doing, Jess swallowed and hastily stood, unable to keep a faint blush from crossing her cheeks. "Mayor Sarkissian. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She took the woman's offered hand in her own, hoping her handshake was firm enough. "Though, it's Mrs. Murdock now. I recently got married." She corrected as politely as she could.

"How… disappointing," she replied with a frown before letting go of Jess' hand. "But congratulations of course. He's a lucky man. May I sit?" She did before Jessica had a chance to reply.

"Of course." Jess responded and immediately followed suit. She regarded the woman across the desk from her for a moment. Ophelia Sarkissian was not only the mayor of New York City, but a high ranking Hydra official. She would have to tread carefully. "I appreciate you taking the time to come visit me today. How may I be of assistance?"

Viper gave a thin smile. She had not expected Jess to be married to the lawyer. It could only mean that Jess saw her fling with him as something more substantial or at least wished it to be. She cleared her throat as she tried to clear her head of the thought. She gave a small smile. "As you know, Hydra works tirelessly to keep people safe from those who would hurt us – criminals, terrorists, people with powers who would prey upon the weak." She kept a close eye on Jessica to see a reaction. "Hydra is very selective in the people it brings into the fold. We've been following your work for a while, and we believe you have much to offer. Even more than your current position allows."

If Jess was surprised, that was an understatement. And Jess felt the Mayor's statement about Hydra being selective was also an understatement. That she and Matt had made it as far as they had was a surprise to many. But then, they were good at what they did.

"I must admit that I'm flattered, Mayor Sarkissian. And I cannot deny the excellent opportunities being a member of Hydra would give me to help those who need it." Jess hesitated a moment before continuing, "However, I would like to ask your permission for some time to discuss the matter with my husband."

"Of course." Viper knew this wasn't going to be easy. She was almost proud of her Spider for making it a challenge even here. She bent over, making the tops of her breasts clearly visible.

Jess flushed and looked away, not wanting to be caught staring down a Hydra official's shirt. Especially as a married woman. Movement out of the corner of her eye finally made her look up again.

When the Viper sat up, she had a thin packet in her hand. She placed it on the desk in front of Jess. "Here is some information on what we're offering you. I think you'll find the benefits package very generous. And we've made great strides in ocular enhancement. It's possible we could get your husband to the top of the list." She knew Jess' biggest weakness was her desire to help others.

She took the envelope from the other woman "Thank you." It quickly became apparent that the Mayor expected Jess to look at it now.

Jess used a thumbnail to open the envelope and pull out the paperwork inside. Her eyes grew wide at the very generous offer that was being made. When it came to the benefits package her jaw dropped. She looked across her desk at the Mayor. "Six months maternity leave?" That was more than double what Hydra allowed everyone else.

The question threw Viper, and not much ever threw her. She hid it as best she could. "Yes," she replied. "Though I hope you won't be using that for a while." She searched the woman's eyes.

Too late did Jess realize her mistake. She didn't dare break eye contact with Mayor Sarkissian because her life and Matt's could very well depend on it. She weighed her options – not that there were many. But Jess learned punishments were less severe if the truth was told. "Well, we received permission. And my husband was eager to start a family as soon as we were wed. Though, nothing has been confirmed at this time. But we've been uh... trying." Jess cursed herself again for how awkward and anxious this woman made her feel. It was unnerving, and she hated it.

Viper's mind raced with the possibility that Jess might be pregnant. Well, on the bright side it would give them a new Hydra operative and someone to hang over Jess' head if this didn't work. "I see. That could complicate things." She smiled. "A happy complication of course. It doesn't change our offer. We think you are worth the time and effort."

Jess couldn't quite hide the relief that flittered across her face. "I understand, and once again I'm extremely flattered you would extend me such an offer. I'll speak with my husband about the offer tonight."

"Wonderful." She stood in one swift motion and offered her hand again. "I expect to hear good news the next time we speak."

"It will be." Jess promised with a smile and took the offered hand once more. What choice did she have? No one ever said no when Hydra offered them a position. Not if they valued their lives.

Viper held her hand a little longer than necessary as a pleasant but victorious smile appeared on her lips. "Until next time, Mrs. Murdock. Jessica." She turned and strode out of the office.

Jess stood as Mayor Sarkissian left the room, unable to keep herself from feeling just the slightest bit envious at the woman's composure. And how she pulled off a suit. But as soon as the other woman was out of sight, she closed the door to her office and sat at her desk with a sigh and reread the offer letter. It was a fantastic offer – she would be crazy to turn it down even if she had that option.

She fought down an overwhelming feeling to find Matt and pull him out of whatever courtroom he was in and tell him what had happened. She would be in her rights to do that as District Attorney – but she wouldn't. The last thing Jess wanted was to draw more attention to themselves. With another sigh, Jess stashed the envelope and its contents into her purse, then grabbed the file folder closest to her. Just because Madam Hydra herself paid her a visit didn't mean she could shirk her own duties.

* * *

Viper's eyes snapped open, and she sat up on the table she had been laying on. She looked over to where her Spider lay peacefully on the table next to her as scientists removed the wiring that had connected her to the Framework. What she had learned had been unexpected – but not necessarily bad. All things could be used to her advantage. She slid off the table then moved to stand over Jessica. "She has no recollection of her life outside the Framework."

One of the scientists came to stand next to her. "Then the first step was a success. Everything else went smoothly, Madam Hydra. We could move on to the next step at your say so."

Viper continued to stare at her Spider hooked up to all sorts of monitoring machines. Such perfection – it was a shame they had let her slip through their hands the first time. "Tell me, if someone is hooked into the Framework, how likely is it that an ailment affecting them in there is a reflection of their actual health here?"

The scientist paused and thought, choosing his next words carefully. "It could be possible. It could also be a reflection of a deep held desire, though I am not a psychologist." The truth was he didn't know how the Framework worked other than what was in Radcliff's notes, but he wasn't about to tell Madame Hydra that.

Viper pursed her lips, deciding not to reprimand him this time. "Get me a full reproductive check up on our Spider. Immediately. I want to make sure nothing is – amiss that could affect us later."

"It would be...my pleasure," the scientist replied smoothly. Viper positioned herself so that she could watch as he worked. Though she always preferred to do it herself, watching also had its pleasures.

* * *

Matt knocked on Jess' door at the end of the day. "Hey. Sorry I didn't call earlier. It got crazy."

Jess looked up from where she was filing the last of her cases away and smiled her first genuine smile since her visit with the Mayor. He had loosened his tie at some point during the day – Jess thought it made him look even sexier than he already was. "Hey – it's ok. I had heard it was hectic but not the details." She kissed him quickly and straightened his tie. The brief physical contact helped settle her nerves. "Give me a moment and we can go home."

"Sure." He found a chair and sat, listening to her move about the office. "How was your day?" It was his way of asking about the meeting but letting her avoid the topic if she wanted. It was one of the many things she loved about her husband. He always seemed to know when she was unsettled, but never pressed her into telling him. His patience astounded her.

"It was as good as you could expect." That was Jessica's code for wanting to tell him more but that she didn't feel safe talking about it at their current location. She gathered up her things and took his hand, entwining her fingers with his. "You ready?"

"Absolutely." He stood and followed her lead to the door. "I'm thinking we pick up some dinner. Maybe have a picnic on the roof?" It was a place they felt safe, particularly when they put on some music so they could speak privately.

"Well it is perfect weather for that. I like the way you think, Mr. Murdock." She squeezed his hand and locked the door behind them before they left.

"It almost sounds like she was trying to seduce you," Matt said after she described the meeting. They were lying together in a lawn chair on the roof drinking beer. Music played from an old record player. They both preferred the warm sound of vinyl over digital music. "Do you think she was trying to seduce you?"

Jess took a sip of her beer as she thought about. The job offer, her body language. The image of the Mayor bent over her desk flitted through her mind. There was no denying that the Mayor was an incredibly attractive woman. Jess licked a droplet of beer from her lips. "I doubt it. Why would she want me for Hydra?" DA she may be, but Jess didn't consider herself Hydra material even if she was a good citizen.

"You're right," he said. "Why would she want someone intelligent, hardworking, gracious, a natural leader, who goes after what she wants and usually gets it? Who would want that?" He gave her a little squeeze.

Jess laughed and shifted slightly so she could kiss him. It was soft but full of love. "Well, I guess when you put it that way...maybe she is."

"Of course she is. She's the one who requested the meeting, remember?" He lapsed into silence, though Jess would swear she could hear him thinking. "Have you decided what you want to do?"

"I'm not sure. We could certainly use the benefits...they might be able to help with your vision." She put her beer down and turned back to him, her hand unconsciously rubbing his abs. "I'm scared." It was almost a whisper.

"I don't need help with my vision," he assured her. "I just need my wife to be happy and feel safe. Whatever you decide, I'm behind you 100%."

Jess sighed and rested her head on his chest, letting his heart beat sooth her. She didn't know what she did to deserve him, but she thanked whoever was listening everyday for him. It was several minutes before she finally responded. "I'll do it."

Matt's body tensed briefly before he let out a long exhale. "This is a great opportunity for you," he noted. "And you'll have the chance to do a lot of good." She hoped he was right.

"There's just that whole not starting a family part." That's what scared her the most.

"We're just postponing it for a little while is all. We'll get our two kids and a dog. It'll just take a little longer than we hoped." He rubbed her arm gently. It was clear he was trying to pretend it wasn't a big deal, but Jessica knew better "But we'll get there," he promised.

Jess squirmed a little - from nerves, fear, or excitement she wasn't sure. Probably all three. "I don't believe there will be any postponing it." Jess bit her lip in a way that would be considered endearing if Matt could see it.

"No…postponing?" His voice became small with apprehensive hope. "Jess, are you…? Are we…?" His hand moved to her stomach.

"I'm pretty sure. Just need a doctor to confirm it." She placed her hand over his, unable to keep herself tearing up at his reaction.

Tears came into his eyes as emotion flooded him. "I love you." He kissed her. "I love you so much. Whatever happens, we'll make it work."

If Matt believed it, then so did Jess. "I love you, too." She wiped the tears from both their eyes and returned his kiss.

Surely everything was going to be okay.

 **AN: So if Agents is a show you're not familiar with you should totally watch it. If you ARE familiar with is, you know Jess is in some trouble.**

 **If you have questions on the Framework - well, My2BrownEyes and I took the general idea from AOS, but we'll be tweaking it a bit to suit our story. PLEASE if you need any clarification on this chapter don't hesitate to ask! Please feel free to leave any questions, comments, concerns, compliments or complaints! We can't improve our writing if we don't know what to fix! We love hearing from you!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. It gave me and My2BrownEyes a bit of a hard time. The next chapter may take awhile to get up as well. Thanks for sticking with us - and please let us know what you think! We love comments!**

 **Chapter 9**

Matt Murdock only put the Daredevil suit on because it was bulletproof. That's how he justified it to himself. Against these Hydra people, he figured he'd need any advantage he could get. He crouched on the rooftop of the building next door and listened for any sign of Jessica Drew. He prayed silently, asking God not to take someone else from him, trying to bargain. It didn't seem to be helping.

He tilted his head. Someone else was on the roof. "I thought you weren't joining me."

"Oh, so you decided to put on the red pajamas again after all." Fury whispered from the shadows of the rooftop entry. He was holding a coffee. "I thought you didn't do that anymore."

He frowned. "I don't. I'm making an exception." He stood up. "Are you here to help? Or are you just checking up on me."

"Drew would be pleased to know you care enough to make an 'exception'." Fury took a sip of his coffee. "I haven't decided yet. Though I do enjoy destroying anything that Hydra tries so hard to cook up. We'll see if this place is worth that."

From what Matt could tell, the man wasn't lying. He decided to tell him what he knew. There were more people in the building than there should be at this time of night. Most were roaming the halls – security. In addition to the security station on the ground floor, there were two floors housing multiple computer servers. The heat and the sounds of fans gave them away. One of them, the one above with fewer servers, also had a large open area. In that area there were people lying in rows. He could hear their heartbeats. But there were gaps between some of them. Matt hoped that meant those beds were empty. The other option was, well, horrific. "If Jess is in there, my guess is that's where she'd be."

"Agreed." Fury reached into his coat and pulled out a device. "I need you to put this on. I can't be of assistance if I don't know what's going on in there."

"What is it?" he asked as he gingerly took it from his hand. "Earpiece?"

"And a camera." Fury confirmed. "Good as you are, there are still details you might miss, through no fault of your own."

The masked head turned slightly as though curious. "Where does it go?"

Fury took the items back from Matt and placed the camera to the side of the helmet. It was small and light weight – so hopefully it wouldn't interfere with the lawyer's hearing too much. "There. Get as much information as you can and do a sweep of every room you enter. Got it?"

Daredevil's stillness would have been unnerving to most people. "I got that you need me more than I need you." He let the words sink in. Then after checking to make sure his batons were secure in their holster, he ran to the edge of the building and jumped across the alley, rolling as he landed on the other side. He was up a moment later. Passing the water tower, he silently made his way to the door leading into the building.

Fury silently donned his sunglasses and let Matt think whatever he wanted. The truth was, even if he rescued the people towards the top floor, there was only so much information they could give and a lot more that Matt could miss. But first, there was the issue of security cameras. "He's heading in."

"Already? You couldn't keep him occupied for a few more minutes?" Maria Hill had a feeling this was going to happen.

"Maybe I should have asked for Black Widow's help."

"Don't be an ass, Nick. I've almost got it. Shit."

That did not sound good. "Problem?"

"Cameras are now on a loop, but they caught a glimpse of him. Let's just hope the guards weren't looking. You're clear to head in."

"Copy that. See you on the other side."

Matt's objective was to get to the area Jess was likely in as quickly and quietly as he could without alerting security. He stuck to the stairwell, but when a two-man security detail was approaching him from the bottom, he turned the nob of the nearest door. It was locked. He could sense the hum of electricity from a security sensor pad.

The two security guards were at the floor below him. If they didn't stop there, he would have 10 seconds before they'd be able to see him.

They continued up.

Daredevil threw himself over the railing, falling just behind them through the center gap of the stairwell. He grabbed the rail at the floor below. Vaulting himself over it, he silently ran back up the stairs.

Getting lucky for once, the guards opened the door to the floor he needed and went through.

He run up, catching the door before it could close fully. He waited for them to turn a corner before slipping through. His senses guided him toward the room he was looking for, the one he hoped to find Jess in.

There were definitely more security guards on this floor. He had to duck into a supply closet to let someone pass. Just to be an ass, he made sure to do a full sweep of the closet before leaving it.

Fury just shook his head and began to approach the building through the roof. "I'm heading in," he told Maria. "Alert me if they get onto us." He silently dispatched the guards and continued on his way. Murdock had been right in his observation that Fury needed him more out of the two of them. Jess was an asset he couldn't afford to lose. Things were happening, and he needed Spider-Woman on board to help prevent it.

He noted the chemicals in the closet but continued to make his way towards Matt. "Well done, Daredevil." He noted, though he made sure to sound as condescending as possible at Matt's code name.

After waiting for the figure to pass, Matt slowly opened the closet door and continued his way to the large area with the rows of people. He knew it was in there that he would need Fury.

There was one guard stationed in front of the door. Easy enough. But Matt wanted an element of surprise that the open space between the door and his hiding place around the corner didn't allow. He pressed himself against the wall and smiled. Digging into his shoulder was a light switch. He turned all the lights off and ran full speed at the guard.

"What the -?" The guard's hand flew to his belt where a push of a button would turn on his communication device. As soon as he pressed it, his jaw exploded in pain. Another hit to the head had him seeing stars before he slumped unconscious to the ground.

Daredevil grabbed the guard's security card and let himself through the door. "I'm in. This is definitely the place." Ignoring the computer station near the servers, he began his walk between the two rows of beds. He didn't bother telling Fury that the people were restrained with wide straps around their wrists and ankles. He figured that would be visible in the camera as would their faces (hopefully). He searched for Jess using his augmented senses, knowing he'd be able to identify her by scent alone.

Halfway down he knew. "She's not here," he said quietly, unsure if Fury could hear him. He continued down the middle of the rows to capture the people on camera and to make sure. The chemicals in the supply closet could have been messing with his sense of smell. At least that's what he hoped.

"No, she's not." Fury agreed, entering the room not long after Matt did. He immediately went to the computers at one end of the room and inserted a USB drive into it. "I'm going to try and get these people out. Rule one: if people are hooked up to machines, just don't yank them out. It doesn't end well for them." He looked at Matt. "I'm going to need you to create a diversion."

Matt stepped out from the shadows where he hid when he heard someone coming. "Any particular kind?"

"One that lets us get these people out quickly. Though, there is a chance some of them might not survive the experience." He looked over at some of the bodies – they looked starved, as if they were just hooked up and left there.

"Quickest would be ambulances. They'd get any medical attention they need." Otherwise he wasn't sure how the two of them would be able to get all of these people out.

"But would alert Hydra that we're here. No." Fury's tone made it clear he wasn't going to argue on the issue further.

He tilted his head in confusion. "By causing a diversion, wouldn't I be alerting them that we're here anyway?"

"You're assuming Hydra is going to let medical personnel in here? Hell, no they're not. Let them fight for their lives. That's a far better diversion."

Matt realized Fury was probably right. "You know them better than I do. I'll see what I can cook up. How much time do you need?"

"Five minutes. Mix some bleach and ammonia or something." He was already at work trying to hack Hydra's systems.

Making his way back to the supply closet, Matt closed the door before letting his nose help him find the right chemicals – bleach and ammonia. Next, he listened to the air conditioning to figure out the best place for dispersal of the toxic gas he was going to create, a place where it could cause the maximum disruption without killing anyone. That meant it needed to be placed on a different floor. He was not going to risk the lives of those poor souls who still lay unconscious near Fury. He'd be very surprised if they were actually able to get those people out of there.

Matt made his way down two floors. He found the spot, thankful these buildings were all essentially the same on every floor. He pulled the nearest air vent off the ceiling. That was where he mixed the bleach and ammonia. That done, he quickly made his way back to Fury.

"Any luck?"

Fury didn't respond right away as he concentrated on what he was doing. He had found a wealth of information – just nothing that would help them find his missing agent. "I did." Fury looked up as one of the people on the cots began to cough.

Matt immediately went to them. "Take it easy. You're okay."

The man held on to Matt for dear life as the sound of the heart monitors of the other victims flatlined. "Don't – don't make me go back in there! Please!"

"Not planning on it." Fury stated. He looked at the remaining victims who hadn't made it and shook his head. He wrapped up his work then looked toward Matt and their new acquaintance. "Time to move. Let's go."

"We're here to help," Matt assured the guy who was still freaking out. "I need you to calm down. Come with us and be very quiet. We'll get you out of here. What's your name?"

"B-Barry" the former captive whispered, still clearly terrified. He continued to grab on to Matt as Fury lead them through the building, toward the roof.

Matt spoke softly. "They call me the Daredevil. It's nice to meet you, Barry. You're doing great."

Barry brightened a bit. "I know. I've heard -" he stopped at a dirty look from Fury.

"There are people up ahead. Think you can take them Daredevil?"

"Yeah. Just so you know, there are some coming up from behind, too." He ran up ahead where he was greeted by gunshots, just what he was hoping to avoid. But it was a close space, which gave him an advantage. He had kept training as a way to get his aggression out without taking to the streets again. It had been working. But being in the costume, using his batons to hurt these people who took Jess and now wanted to kill them, it made it too easy to lose himself in the violence. When Fury and Barry caught up to him, he was panting from the effort and willing himself not to feel the guilt until his mask was off. "The three behind us are coming up fast."

Fury smirked while Barry just gaped at the bloodshed. A fog started to creep up around them, obscuring them from the Hydra soldiers who were approaching. Fury didn't miss a beat. "Let's move. You one of those Inhumans, son?"

He looked out of the corner of his eye as Barry nodded. "Y-yeah. Hydra doesn't like us much." He shivered visibly as Fury led them down another corridor. He was trusting Murdock to take care of the rest of the goons.

Matt stayed behind pressed against the wall. Once the guards were in arms reach, he struck the first with a kick to the stomach before bringing his baton down on the back of his head. He threw the other baton. It hit his target square in the forehead. This left one firing on him blindly.

The bullets hit the wall and ceiling.

Matt hated guns. They were too loud and smelly. He pushed the arm away before driving his palm into the guard's chest. Another blow to the head, and it was over. He stepped over the unconscious bodies on the floor then ran to catch up with Fury and Barry. "We should be clear to the roof."

They were back in the safe house, and Fury stared at Barry as the kid stuffed his face with a microwaved frozen pizza. Fury would've gone right to questioning but Murdock had insisted. And Daredevil had a point – the kid could only be described as emaciated. They had to practically carry him here after escaping the building.

Fury pulled up a chair so he was sitting in front of the kid. "You done yet?"

"Give him time to swallow," Daredevil said from his place near the window. He could tell by Barry's heartbeat how nervous the kid was. "I know you've just been through something traumatic and it'll be hard to talk about. But we have a friend who was taken by the people who had you. We need to find her. And we're hoping you can help us."

Barry turned to look at Daredevil then back to Fury and gulped. "It's all so fuzzy. The last thing I remember – now that I'm out, because I thought everything was real until you woke me up and I still think it was. I Remember it – it was real!" Fury raised an eyebrow and the kid took a second to breathe. "Anyway, the last thing I remember was an ad in the paper. That they needed people to test a new program. And look – I'm Inhuman. I can't get job – it's hard right? It paid well, said there were benefits. And then the next thing I know, Hydra rules the world, and we Inhumans are science experiments!"

"Hydra rules the world?" Daredevil asks in confusion. "Was it like virtual reality?"

Fury frowned. He'd heard of something like this before. "Worse." He leaned back. "How long were you in there?"

"2 weeks? 3? They'd pull me out and do experiments on me and then put me back in. But they made sure I knew what was going on. Had the News running all the time – Hydra this, Hydra that. I mean it was clearly stuff they wanted everyone to know. Who was in charge of what. Some chick name Ophelia Sarkissian is the Mayor – was the Mayor?" He looked up in fear. "She's not the Mayor right?"

"She's not the Mayor," Daredevil assured him.

Fury scrutinized the guy with his one eye. "Pulled you out of where? And Hydra was in charge when you were pulled out?" He needed more clarity. He needed to know exactly what was going on. He needed to know if there was a chance this kid saw Jessica.

"Prison - or something like it." Barry looked overwhelmed and a little confused. "Hydra was always in charge. Mayor Sarkissian came by weekly to look us over. Like we animals in a zoo."

"You're not in prison anymore." Daredevil tried to be reassuring.

Fury asked Barry when he answered the ad. He wanted to know if time worked the same way here as in there. It did. At least now he knew he wasn't dealing with a Narnia situation. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a picture, the old-fashioned kind on paper. On it was a serious woman, brunette and beautiful with sad eyes and a determined mouth. "Did you see this woman when you were there?"

Barry stared at the picture as recognition flitted across his face. "She was never at the prison. That's the DA – Jessica Murdock. Except – she never looked that sad."

It took all of Matt's self control not to react at the last name. His mind was racing. Why? How? He had to force himself to keep paying attention to the conversation.

"Jessica Murdock," Fury repeated slowly. "The District Attorney." He was finding this very interesting. It was clear this kid didn't have the same set-up as Coulson, Fitz, and the others in SHIELD who had gone into the Framework. They had their biggest regret changed. Coulson had become a teacher instead of an agent. May had chosen not to kill a very dangerous girl, and the world had fallen to Hydra. Fitz had grown up with his dad and became the head of Hydra along with the android chick. Could the same have been done for Jessica? "Do you remember what landed you in prison?"

"I am an Inhuman. It was a crime to be one." Barry looked down and began to twist his shirt in his hands. That wasn't much different than here.

He nodded. "I'm sorry." He put the photo back into his pocket. "Is there anyone you need to get in touch with? Parent? Significant other? Friend?"

"My sister. She's probably worried sick...oh my God..." Barry immediately tried to stand.

Fury held him down with a hand on his shoulder. "Alright. We'll get in touch with her. But first I gotta know, how much does Hydra know about you?" The implication was practically tangible. Could they be putting Barry or his sister in danger by contacting her.

"Everything. You can't hide anything from them."

"I'm sorry to hear that. This might be more complicated." He stood up. "We'll have to do this carefully." He turned to Matt. "See if you can find out if these people have any other buildings that use that much power." He paused. "You think you can do that?" It wasn't an expression of doubt but rather a check of whether Matt was alright after Barry's revelation.

"Yeah." His voice was breathy, low.

Fury looked him over for a moment. It was hard to tell if the man was telling the truth what with Daredevil keeping to the dark. "Okay. I'll meet up with you after I get Barry sorted."

Matt nodded head still reeling as Fury gathered up Barry. Fury eyed him once more. "I won't be long," he said before pushing an increasingly bewildered Barry out the door, his hand already reaching for his phone to get in touch with Maria.

As soon as they were gone, Matt tore the mask off his head. He bent over trying to catch his breath. He didn't understand. Did that mean there was some version of him in there? Or had she taken his place and decided to work for the District Attorney. Was that really her in there? Was she still alive?

He grabbed a coaster from the table and flung it across the room.

Matt sat on the couch to catch his breath. He rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. He needed to find her. He needed to save her.

His dream flashed through his head. He needed to save her. Otherwise his actions tonight would have been for nothing. That was something he knew he couldn't live with.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10  
**

Viper looked at the results of her Spider's work up, more than a little perplexed, though one would never know it looking at her. While Jessica might be knocked up in the framework, she most certainly was NOT in the physical world. She had even had the work up done twice more just to be sure there were no false negatives.

They had begun the re-indoctrination process with Jessica already. Viper was treading carefully, but so far everything was going smoothly. Jessica was a good little Hydra citizen and was going deeper each day. Unfortunately, seducing her Spider's loyalty not only to Hydra but to Viper alone was proving to be a far more slow and arduous process. Her Spider was certainly attracted to her – there was no question by the way she would blush or how her pupils would dilate if Viper made a subtle pass at her. But her loyalty to Matthew Murdock was unwavering and she would get this besotted look every time he was brought up. A flare of possessiveness rose up within her, and she curled the medical results into a ball of crumpled paper. The fool girl was in love with the man, and she had taught her Spider better than that. To love only Hydra and Viper.

Of course Viper could chalk all that was displayed in the framework to wishful thinking. It could be that they were just fuck buddies getting their jollies when they could. Viper didn't think it was that though. No. There was something more going on here-

A cough caught her attention, and she looked up to see one of her agents standing just inside the door. Clearly this agent wasn't stupid. "Close the door please." Her voice was a soothing purr. She did not like being interrupted this way. The agent gulped and did as he was told. "And come closer." Again, the agent complied, and clearly he was terrified. Good. "Report."

He cleared his throat as he looked down at the three folders in his hand. "Would you like to hear about the Essex building or Matt Murdock first?" His heartbeat rose as she looked at him as though he should know. He dropped his eyes and made a choice. He opened the top folder. "Of the dozen subjects within the framework at the Essex Street location, 11 are deceased and 1 is missing. Barry Anderson." He handed over Barry's file. "Inhuman with the power to create fog. There was a report of fog in the building, so we believe him to be alive."

He consulted his notes again. "Barry has a sister. She is under surveillance as we speak. Best we can tell, it was a small elite crew who broke him out. The family doesn't have the money to hire that kind of team. And since none of the bodies were taken, it's doubtful any of their families hired them. Could be mercenaries or techno pirates. Whoever it was took out the security cameras and tried to hack into the Framework. Our IT guys assure us they weren't able to get much." He paused again partly expecting an outburst and partly to put off the next piece of information. "Some of the security guards think it was the Daredevil. If it was, this is the first time I've heard of him working outside of Hell's Kitchen." He stopped to let her ask questions before changing topics.

"Daredevil?" Her eyebrow rose. That was interesting. Why would Daredevil interest himself with Hydra. Usually he went after smaller fish as her agent so helpfully pointed out. A thought occurred to her. "Did you not report months ago he was seen with the Spider?"

"I believe so." He flipped some pages in the folder. "He was. He was spotted with Spider-Woman during a few altercations that arose when she was working to bring in Luis Santiago, a resident of San Francisco who was arrested in New York City and then jumped bail. Huh. Matt Murdock was Mr. Santiago's lawyer."

"Is that so?" How very, very interesting. "Continue."

He switched folders. "Matthew Michael Murdock is an attorney in Manhattan. Mother left when he was a baby. Father was Jonathan Murdock. He was a Heavyweight boxer known as Battling Jack Murdock. He was shot after winning a fight he was supposed to throw. A couple of years before that happened, Matthew lost his sight when he saved a pedestrian from getting hit by a truck." He handed over a newspaper clipping with the story. "The truck was carrying radioactive material that got into the kid's eyes."

This was information Madam Hydra already knew. "Everyone knows that. I hope you have something far more interesting for me on this lawyer." Other than the possibility that he was fucking what was hers.

Inwardly freaking out, he hoped it didn't show. He started talking faster. "He recently dissolved his partnership with his college roommate Franklin Nelson. Mr. Nelson went to work for a prestigious law firm. Mr. Murdock now works out of his apartment. His was one of the places targeted when we were trying to capture Spider-Woman. She showed up there but got away before she could be apprehended. Mr. Murdock disappeared for a couple of days after that, but he's back." He looks through his notes. "Oh, uh," he's nervous about this one, "while he was working on the Santiago case, Spider-Woman was basically living in his apartment." He said it quickly and in a softer voice, obviously hoping he'd be allowed to leave before she blew up.

Viper's nostrils flared at that. No possibility. He was definitely fucking her. This Matthew Murdock had some something to win her Spider to him. The other information was worth knowing and interesting. She looked at her agent. "Files on the desk." The agent gulped and did as he was told but didn't retreat. Madam Hydra regarded him for several moments and took note of the beads of sweat on his brow. "You're too nervous. I can't do with nervous agents."

She pressed a button at her desk and three more agents entered her office. She pointed to the agent who gave the report. "He needs more training. Use more pain. And if he's shaking in his boots the next time he reports it'll be all of you." The agents nodded and saluted, then two escorted the first out.

She looked at her remaining agent. "I want all the dirt you can come up with on why Murdock would dissolve his firm with such a long time friend. And anything questionable and career ruining you can dig up on Murdock. But don't do anything with the information until you report to me, understood?"

"Understood," she said then decided to take the initiative. "The firm was dissolved after the Frank Castle case. Rumor has it Murdock is an alcoholic and left Nelson to do all the work. Nelson dissolved the firm after he got a better offer from Hogarth, Benowitz and Chao. Nelson's girlfriend also works there. I will verify the rumor and return with a more definite explanation." She wanted Viper to know that she was ambitious and willing to put in the work to rise in the organization.

Now that was interesting. Viper took a moment to make note of this particular agent. She liked those who took initiative. "Do so. I need the info by this evening." The Agent turned to leave before Viper added one last command. "Make sure security on the Framework is doubled down. The fact that they even got so much as a letter is unacceptable." With that, she waved the agent off and opened the files. She had a feeling it was time to pay a certain lawyer a visit.

Matt had been having a hard time concentrating ever since he heard the words Jessica Murdock. Different scenarios kept playing out in his head. They had married. They were related. She had taken his life, and maybe he had taken hers. He wondered if she were happy or if they were doing experiments on her like they had with Barry.

He needed to find her. He needed answers even if he was a little afraid of what they might be.

He actually managed not to think about it too much during the bail hearing he was just at. He figured that was progress.

His client couldn't afford bail. It's why the guy was stealing. His mom had gotten sick, and the medical bills had wiped out everything they had. The guy had robbed a liquor store to get money to buy her medicine. It was sad, but Matt hoped he'd be able to get him a good deal.

As he walked down the hall toward the lobby, the Hydra agent who had been waiting for him spotted him and smiled. She'd prove just how good she was to Madame Hydra. And soon she'd be rising up through the ranks. All she needed to do was manipulate one blind lawyer and maybe his former friend.

Viper slid in through the rooftop exit, the lock on the door was a joke to pick. Murdock needed to work on his security. She made her way down the stairs and peeked in to see the sleeping form of the lawyer. Good. He couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour or so. She had been starting to think the man never slept.

She made her way over to his refrigerator and peaked in, not even trying to be quiet. Viper sighed at the lawyer's taste in beer. He liked that German piss. Her agent had been right. He was definitely not an alcoholic. She reached in and grabbed a bottle just as she heard Matt make his way towards her. She popped the lid off with a finger as she spun around to face him. "You're taste in beer is atrocious." Her imitation of Jessica, British accent and all, was spot on.

Matt's hands clenched at his sides. It didn't help that he was standing there in only his boxer shorts. "Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?" His voice was gruff with sleep and anger.

Viper didn't answer immediately and instead walked a circle around him, her heels clicking with each step. She appraised the man, and she had to give her Spider credit. He was attractive. She paused in front of him. "Oh, I just wanted to pay a visit to New York's greatest lawyer, Matthew Murdock." Her tone was mocking as she dropped the accent and took a swig of her beer.

The woman from the courthouse. Only this was not the same woman. Guess he was right to be paranoid. The hairs on the back of his neck were on end. He could feel the tightness in his muscles, ready to strike if needed. That was something she might notice. He took a breath to calm himself. He forced his shoulders to relax. He listened. Whoever this was, she was alone. She didn't see him as a threat. That gave him a potential advantage. But he needed information. "Did Fisk send you?"

She laughed with a haughty amusement and took a seat on his couch, legs crossed. "Oh darling, no one sends me anywhere. You got lucky with Fisk. The Castle trial just proved to the world how truly inept you are." Viper took another swig of beer. She noted the way his muscles twitched. The movement made her notice the scars that were scattered over his torso. Why would a lawyer have such interesting scars? She knew enough to know those weren't surgical. "No, I wanted to see what she saw in you. Why she would fuck someone who is as spectacular a failure as you."

His jaw was clenched, but he tried to keep his voice casual. "I suppose that depends on the girl. Which one are we talking about?"

"Certainly not Elektra. Tell me, did those scars come from dating her?" Viper questioned, her head tilting exactly how Jess' would. "And definitely not Karen Page. She hasn't done anything interesting at all. No potential there." She took her legs off the table and leaned forward, arms resting on her knees. "You know exactly who I am talking about, Matthew."

"For someone who thinks me a huge failure, you sure are interested in my love life." He lifted his head ever so slightly to listen to her heartbeat. "Jealous?"

"Curious." Viper leaned back. "You dated the likes of Elektra, I can see why Jessica would be of interest to you. But why would you be of interest to either? Hmm?" Some things started to click in Viper's head. "So, are you aware that your darling Jessica has powers?"

"You mean like persuasion?" He turned around and went back into his bedroom. "Jessica Drew is a bounty hunter and a good one at that." He returned wearing a shirt and holding his cell phone. "But I haven't heard from her in a while. Do you happen to know where she is?"

"She's where she belongs of course." Viper took a last swig of beer and allowed a sly smile when he came back wearing a shirt.

"Which is where exactly?"

"Hydra." Viper stood and swayed closer to Matt. She reached out and slid a finger down his chest. "Her home."

He pushed her hand away in disgust. He did not want her touching him. "Hydra isn't a home. It's a Nazi cult. Jess' home is in California. You don't know her if you think she'd ever be a Nazi."

"Oh, but I do know our little Spider very well. She went away and tried to play hero, but she realized her mistake and returned home to us. We're the ones who know her best. Understand what she can do and accept her for it." She reached out again to finger the sleeve of Matt's shirt. "She's where she belongs now."

He moved his arm to get her hand away. The woman was tactile. Somehow that creeped him out even more, the thought of her touching Jess. "Jess never talked about her past, but I knew it was something that hurt her, something she'd never willingly go back to. Which means if she's with you, you took her."

Viper snorted with contempt. "I didn't take her." Which was true. She gave the order and someone else did. "You don't know her at all. Well at least not her mind. She always returns to us eventually." She was unperturbed by Matt moving away from her. She just stepped a little more into his space. "Her body though...Well. She can make any man feel however she wants them to. I'm sure you're no stranger to that." She leaned in as if sharing a secret. "I taught her everything she knows."

Matt turned his head away in disgust and not just by the scent of the sushi she had for dinner or her godawful perfume. "Meaning you raped her. You're sick, lady."

"I did no such thing. She came to me willingly – she had to learn control of her powers after all. And who better to teach her than another woman? Men couldn't think straight when they were around her. I showed her how to use that to her advantage. And so what if I got a little pleasure out of it? You can't say you didn't do the same when you met her." She slid her hand down Matt's arm holding his phone again, this time taking a hold of his wrist. "All men do. The Spider is irresistible."

His free hand snatched hold of the wrist holding his. His grip was firm, almost painful. "Where is she?" he demanded. "What have you done with her?"

His grip hurt - it would most certainly leave a bruise -but Viper wouldn't let him know that. Interesting that the Lawyer had such a strong grip. "You must work out." She replied mildly. "She's safe. You shouldn't worry – the things you feel for her aren't real. She made you feel that way on purpose. It's what she does." She reached with her free hand and snatched his phone, then twisted herself out of his grip and stepped out of reach with a grace similar to Jessica's.

"Siri, call 9-1-1."

"Calling 9-1-1."

Viper powered down the phone before it could connect. "Nice try darling, but no one will help you now." She sent the phone skittering across the apartment. "Now before I go, if you happen to see Daredevil, since you happen to live in his neck of the woods so to speak, tell him to stop looking for our Spider. She's better off with Hydra and without you." Viper reached into a belt pouch and produced a handful of powder. It wouldn't kill him – she didn't want that. Not yet. "For now, you should go back to sleep." She blew the powder into Matt's face then turned on her heel and left.

He turned his face away and coughed, but it was too late. He already felt woozy. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Matt woke up on the floor, head pounding and mouth dry. There was a small puddle of drool where his mouth was. He sat up slowly and wiped his lips.

That wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was remembering what happened before he was knocked out. That woman, what she said, what she implied.

He crawled over to his phone and turned it on. "Siri, call Snakes on a Plane." His voice sounded more like a croak than an actual human voice. As the line rang, he placed his palm against one of his eyes and applied pressure hoping it would help his head stop aching.

The phone rang several times before Fury answered. "What happened?" His voice was clipped as if annoyed that he was being interrupted.

Matt matched his annoyance. "Someone broke into my apartment. A woman." Just the memory of her made him shiver with disgust. "She drugged me with something. Feels like woodpeckers are trying to open my skull from the inside." He didn't mean to say that last thing out loud, but his filter was not functioning. "We need to talk."

The phone was silent for several long moments. "Don't move and don't talk. Someone will be there." The call was then disconnected.

He slowly stood up and stumbled to the kitchen. He needed painkillers and water, and not even a warning from Fury was going to keep him from them. His next stop was his bedroom for actual clothes. Whoever was coming over didn't need to see him in his underwear. That ended up being a much slower process than he anticipated. Finally, he went to the couch and collapsed on it.

Not much later, Matt's door opened, and Fury's voice was low enough so only Matt could hear him. "Don't move, Murdock. Or say anything." Then the sound of metal rolling on wood could be heard. The device paused, then a light on it flashed twice before an electromagnetic pulse bounced through the apartment. Fury waited another moment before entering the apartment. He locked the door behind him. "Sorry about that – I needed to short out the electronics. She probably bugged the place while you were focused on her." He immediately began searching. "What did she tell you?"

"Did you just short all of my electronics? Including my phone? My alarm?" His nostrils flared. "There wasn't another way to do that?"

"Either I short that shit out, our Hydra learns all of our plans. Your stuff will be working again in an hour or so. It's 4 am. I don't think you'll be getting any calls." Fury swept through the kitchen, pausing at the refrigerator. "And here's the first one." He placed it on the ground and crushed it with the heel of his boot. "So back to the question at hand. What did she say to you?"

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That Jess went back willingly. That Jess has powers, and that whatever we had was a lie. That she showed Jess how to use her powers." His jaw clenched. "She practically admitted to raping her." He lifted his head and turned toward Fury. "She's sick. A psychopath. She came to get a reaction out of me. And she wanted me to tell Daredevil to stay out of her business. Guess we struck a nerve."

"Good." Fury paused by the coffee table and knelt down to feel underneath. "And another one." He crushed that as well. "The woman who visited you tonight was Madame Viper. And I can assure you Jess did not go willingly – but you knew that." He studied Matt for moment with his good eye. "She thinks Jess is her own personal property, regardless of what she spouts about Hydra."

"Yeah. I got that message loud and clear." He pointed to the stairs where another bug had been stashed. "Seventh step from the bottom. We need to get Jess away from that woman as soon as possible."

Fury raised an eyebrow at Matt but destroyed the bug. He approached Matt but didn't touch him. "Murdock, let me remind you – whatever is happening to Jess right now. She's been through worse. She's been trained for situations like this. Yes, we need to get to her ASAP, but if we're not careful, we can do more harm than good. Do you understand?"

"I understand that she's currently at the mercy of her abuser." It was a similar situation, a girl being sexually abused, that made him first become a vigilante. "The longer she's there, the more harm that will do. I'm all for being careful, but we need to work quickly." If Fury ever doubted Matt's feelings towards Jess, his current reaction squashed them. There was fear and worry in his eyes and his muscles twitched like a caged animal.

"We are working quickly and that drew attention to you. Enough to make Viper think you have a link to Daredevil. We have been sloppy. We need to be more careful. YOU need to be more careful."

"She thinks my link to Daredevil is Hell's Kitchen." Matt stood and got into Fury's personal space. "If you want me to be more careful, then you need to step up."

Fury didn't budge or bat an eye. "I have stepped up, Murdock." He let that hang for a moment. "I care about Jess too you know, but I have a bit more experience with who we're dealing with here." Fury studied Matt for another moment. "Look, I know you love her, and that you're worried about her. But I need you to trust me. If you can't, then there's no way we're getting her back."

Matt's nostrils flared. His lips twitched. He flinched at the word 'love'. "You don't know me," he said in a low dangerous voice. "And I don't know you. But Jessica trusts you, and I don't have a choice. We have to get her back." His voice almost cracked when he added, "I'm not losing anyone else."

Fury raised an eyebrow. The kid was about to lose it. "Then I need you to get your shit together and suit up. I'll be back in two hours." Without another word, Fury turned and left the apartment without any indication he had even been there.

"The suit doesn't make me careful," Matt called after him. "The suit makes me dangerous."

 **AN: Sorry for the delay guys. Hope the next chapter isn't as long coming. As always, thanks for reading and please leave a comment!  
**


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: We apologize for the long delay. If you're still with us, thank you. Anyway here is Chapter 11. As always, please leave feed back because I desperately need it.

Madame Hydra was not happy. And if she was not happy, neither was anyone else. She stared at Jessica Drew's body connected to the Framework as she took a mental assessment of the situation.

That Daredevil character was still a problem. She could practically feel him circling her various enterprises. He had even hit a couple of them, concentrating on those with large servers. Matthew Murdock had obviously failed to deliver her message. Or he delivered it, but the Devil ignored it. Either way, Murdock was problem number two.

Her original plan, the one she still hoped to complete, was to have her Spider kill the lawyer. What better way to prove her loyalty than to kill the man she not only slept with but whose child she thought she was having. Only Jessica was not cooperating on that front either. Whatever hold Murdock had on her Spider was even stronger than the triggers they had carefully instilled in her. That would not do. Madame Hydra was getting very close to getting rid of him herself.

What she really wanted was to split them up in the Framework. If she could do that, then perhaps Jessica Drew would come back to her.

She took a step toward the body whose consciousness lived in the Framework. "What betrayal would hurt you most?" She studied the beautiful face. "An affair is so… common." And yet it felt like the only option. Unless...

She turned to one of the scientists. "The fake people, can we make them do whatever we want?"

The scientist scratched his nose. "Only to a certain extent. We need to keep some randomness to make the world not be artificial and predictable, Madame."

"I suppose that will have to do. It shouldn't be too difficult to make Murdock dance to my tune."

"Tell me what you have in mind and I will see what can be done."

"I want him to cheat on his wife, preferably with a woman much younger." She smiled. "Perhaps even under age if you can manage it."

"We'll get to work. And if the program won't allow for that - we may be able to at least generate proof."

She gave him a nod, a small smile turning up the corner of her mouth. "Make me proud."

Jessica sat in her office, looking through a file with her eyebrows knitted in concentration. She absentmindedly rubbed her stomach as she studied it. Frank Castle was the head of the group resisting Hydra rule and a manhunt had been called. There had been several calls reporting sightings, however most of them proved false. This one however held promise. The unmistakable sounds of heels walking towards her office gave her warning and she straightened attentively for one of Madame Hydra's many visits.

And just like always Mayor Sarkissian strode into Jess' office as if she owned the place. She was wearing a black suit this time with a white dress shirt that was thin enough to hint at the black bra underneath. "Jessica Drew. How is my favorite attorney?" She sat on the edge of Jess' desk and leaned toward her. Her perfectly manicured nails in a dark shade of green stood out against the brown wood of the desk. It reminded Jess of a forest, the kind in faerie tales that are full of danger.

"As well as can be expected. How are you this morning, Mayor?" If Jess' cheeks turned a little pink at the Mayor's compliment well, she felt no one could blame her. But while she might have blushed, it was also clear the Mayor wanted something. She turned her green eyes upwards to look Ophelia directly in the eyes. "Is there anything you'd like me to do for you?"

"No. I just wanted to see how you were getting along." She smiled. One could not call it a sweet smile. There always seemed to be something devious behind it.

Jess shifted uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly feeling a bit cornered. "Well, it looks like we have an actual legitimate sighting of Frank Castle. If we play our cards right we could have him by the end of the week." She gestured to the file she had been studying before the Mayor had interrupted her.

"Really. That is good news." She pressed a finger to Jess' hand then quickly took it away. "I knew you were the right person for this job." She slid off the desk and walked slowly to the windows. "You know, I could have sworn I saw your husband yesterday. I was in a, well, a rather seedy part of town to meet with some constituents." She waved her hand as though shooing away the thought. "I'm sure it was innocent. They must have a client staying there." She stopped and turned to Jessica. "His current assistant is brunette, yes? Long hair? Pouty lips?" Her finger tapped against her own lips. "Strange how they weren't carrying any bags though."

"Uh - that would be his new assistant Kirstin McDuffie. She's in her second year of Law School." Jess liked Kirsten well enough, except for the way that Kirsten would look at Matt. If Jess wasn't so secure in knowing that Matt was completely devoted her (and she to him), she'd be jealous. As it was, she just laughed it off with Matt. "I like her."

"Oh good." The Mayor smiled again that smile that wasn't exactly sweet. "I suppose their clients often stay in those sorts of motels."

"Sometimes." Jessica lied and looked at her own fingernails, feeling as though this was something that needed to be discussed between her and Matthew. As far as she knew, he never had to visit any of his clients in a hotel before. It also occurred to her just then that Kirstin was the same age Jess herself had been when she had met Matt.

It was difficult for Madame Viper not to smile in triumph. She could tell by her Spider's body language that she had created some doubt. "I'm sure that's what it was then." She approached her again. "And how is the baby?" Her scientists were still trying to determine how Jess could be pregnant here and not in the real world.

"Just fine." Jess answered, her hand going to her stomach, which was a frequent gesture of hers these days. "Morning sickness hasn't passed, but that's probably too much information." She laughed a bit awkwardly and continued to look away.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I understand either peppermint or ginger is good for nausea," the Mayor offered as she made a mental note to inform the scientists. "Will you be finding out the gender?" She smoothed the fabric at her hips.

Jess caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and watched for a moment before looking away again. "We haven't discussed it yet – it's too early to tell anyway. Possibly when it gets closer. I think Matt would like it to be a surprise though." She smiled a bit at that. He was definitely excited about the baby to the point where he was overly fussy with her.

Madame Viper only realized then the question had been a mistake. She needed to make Jess doubt Murdock. Baby talk was only diminishing the doubt. "Well at least you won't have to worry about your looks with him. Not that you'll need to worry about that I'm sure."

"Oh, no certainly not." Jess gave a nervous, self-conscious laugh.

She turned her full attention to her Spider. "You are a beautiful woman, Jessica. Someone would have to be a complete fool to take you for granted… no matter how old the temptation."

"I don't believe Matthew is a fool." Jess was certain her cheeks were bright red her face felt so warm, but she managed to raise her eyes to meet the Mayor's. "He's not like that."

"I didn't mean to imply he was," she replied with a touch of dismissal. "However, it's clear he has other…priorities." She let her eyes linger over Jess then gave a smile.

Jess looked away again at the Mayor's gaze, both flustered and annoyed. "I assure you, I know exactly where my husband's priorities lie," she snapped quietly. Her eyes widened and she immediately looked back towards Ophelia. "I apologize. I didn't mean to show such disrespect."

"I'm sure you didn't," she sliced back with cold precision. "Don't forget I am your friend, Jessica. And as your friend, I would really like to know exactly where your husband's priorities lie." It was a challenge but whether a personal or professional one was hard to tell.

Jess looked away briefly at Ophelia's cold response. She was aware she was walking a very thin line with the Mayor. Jess took a deep breath, then raised her eyes to meet the Mayor's. "I can assure you his priorities lie with his job and with me."

"Just make sure whatever he was doing in that hotel room aligns with those. The last thing we need is a scandal involving our newly-named District Attorney. Understood?"

"Understood, Mayor Sarkissisian." Jess looked into the Mayor's eyes to make it clear she understood, then looked back down at the papers on her desk.

"Good. I'll leave you to it then. Good day, Jessica." Her heels click-click-clicked on the floor as she strode out of the room.

Hours later, Jess rubbed her eyes and looked up from the Castle file she had been working on all afternoon. With a mumbled swear, she began to gather the papers, surprised that she had so totally lost track of time. She told herself it was because she wanted to make sure the information was absolutely correct before going to the Mayor with it, but in reality, it was to stave off confronting Matthew about his intern. Despite her words to Ophelia, doubts swam in Jessica's mind all afternoon about what he could have been up to with her. Of course, delaying going home was only opening more opportunity for him to be unfaithful, despite his concerned text messages.

There was a knock on her door. She looked up and saw Matt standing at the doorway holding a plastic bag with food. "Excuse me, I'm looking for my wife. She's not answering her phone, and the hospitals assure me she hasn't been admitted." He paused. "Jess? Are you here?"

The corner of her mouth lifted despite herself as she pushed her chair back then stood to make her way to her husband. She kissed him on the cheek as she took the bag of food from him. "You didn't really call the hospitals looking for me did you?" She moved her papers and placed the bag on her desk. Her stomach growled loudly at the scent of tacos wafting from the bag.

"I was worried." He followed, his stick extended to make sure he didn't bump into anything. "Did you turn off your phone?"

Jess didn't look up as she started pulling food from the bag. "I silenced it. It was blowing up and I needed to concentrate on this case." Which was true, but the Mayor's words from earlier had haunted her the rest of the day, and she wasn't sure how to deal with them or Matt.

"Did you make any headway?" he asked as he sat down. He knew better than to ask about the particulars of the case. He assumed everything she worked on was confidential. But he could ask if it was going well.

"A lot actually." she responded a bit absentmindedly. She divided the tacos up and handed half to Matt, then settled in to eat her own. "What about you? Stay in the office all day or did you make a trip across the city?" Jess thought she had done a pretty decent job at not sounding accusatory, but it was clear she was on edge.

"That's… an odd question." He unwrapped his first taco. His first thought was to lie, but he knew she must have a reason for asking. One of the first rules of lawyering is to never ask a question you don't know the answer to, and she was sounding more like a lawyer. "But as a matter of fact, I did have to leave the office. Kirstin was kind enough to drive me."

"Oh? Where did you go?" Jess took a bite out of her first taco and had to keep herself from moaning. Damn him for going to that taco cart down the street.

"I, um, had a, uh, client interview."

His clear scrambling for an excuse was enough to confirm her suspicions. Matt never hesitated about anything. "Client interview? Come now, Matthew, you can lie better and less obviously than that." She bored her eyes into him, despite the fact he couldn't see it. Jess was fairly certain he could feel it though.

"It's confidential," he replied. A frown appeared on his face. "You have your secrets. I have mine."

His answer only confirmed her insecurities. "I see."

"It doesn't help that you're always working." His voice got softer. "Or that you called me Ophelia last time we had sex."

Jess startled at that, and she wracked her brains trying to remember. They had made love this morning, but she didn't recall moaning anyone's name at all. What she did recall is the rather vividly sexual dream she had about her boss before waking. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, well I figured you didn't do it on purpose." He bit into his taco.

Jessica's tacos remained mostly uneaten. She clasped her hands together and rested her chin upon them as she looked at her husband nonchalantly eating his tacos. He probably wished he was eating Kirsten McDuffy. "Please do enlighten me, Mr. Murdock."

He chewed deliberately and finally swallowed his bite. Then he used a napkin to clean his mouth. Only after that was done did he reply. "Well, you didn't stop or hesitate to see how I'd react. Nor did you apologize for the mistake. That led me to believe it was an unconscious slip-up."

He was going full lawyer on her and she hated that. He knew she hated that. Mostly because he was ten times the lawyer she could ever dream of being, despite the position she currently held (that he should be holding, if she were being honest with herself). "So, do you want an apology for something I don't remember doing?"

"Not unless you wanted an apology from me if I accidentally called you Kirsten."

"Well, see the funny thing about that is you have been spending a lot of time with Kirsten lately. Visiting "clients". You hardly ever go to your clients, Matthew. You make them come to you. Or have you been coming with Kirsten?" Jess shot back.

"I'm not going to justify that with an answer."

"That's all the answer I need." Jess sat back in her chair, arms wrapped protectively around her midsection. Her dinner was forgotten. In fact, she felt like she was going to be sick. "There's a difference, Mr. Murdock, between fantasizing about someone you look up to and actually acting upon it. I can tell you with a clear conscious, that I have never, nor would I ever, sleep with anyone else but you."

"And you think I would cheat on my pregnant wife?" He wiped his hands with short almost violent movements. "Well now I know what you think of me."

"That's not what I think of you, Matthew." Jessica whispered. "At least it wasn't until someone told me they saw you leaving a hotel with Kirsten McDuffy this afternoon. A hotel in an area where you don't have any clients."

"You don't know where my clients are, Jessica." He cocked his head with a furrowed brow. "Unless you've been going through my cases."

"You know I haven't been going through your cases, Matthew." The venom was back in her voice. "We tell each other when we're going to be someplace other than where we usually are during the day, or have you forgotten that?" It was how they kept tabs on each other, to know they were both safe, before Jessica got her current position. Except today, Matt hadn't told her he was going anywhere. He had given her the usual "How are you" texts.

There was a pause before he answered. "That was before you started working for Hydra. Some of my clients would rather not have Hydra know where they are simply by monitoring your phone calls and texts."

"Hydra has many heads. They already know where your clients are without my involvement Matthew." She began to pack up her tacos, all but tossing them back into the bag.

"I take it one of those heads told you that I was at a hotel today. Are you sure they were telling the truth?"

"I wasn't sure until you went full on Lawyer on me rather than just being you." Jess voice was barely above a whisper, but the heartbreak was clear in her voice. When had she lost him?

"Just me is a lawyer," he reminded her. "It's how we met. It's what I do. It's who I am."

"No, there's more to you under that Lawyer exterior you wear. And you haven't worn it around me for the longest time – until today." Now there was a hint of venom back in her voice. How dare he?

Matt took a slow breath and ran a hand through his hair. "It's been a long day. I'm tired. I just wanted to have dinner with my wife. And as much as I would have liked it in our home at our table, I knew that wasn't going to happen. So I brought you dinner to make sure that you actually ate." He shrugged and frowned and generally looked forlorn.

Jess looked away as she began packing up her work. She felt sick and angry, but she wasn't going to have any more words with him about it here. "Go home, Matthew. We'll talk about this later."

"How long am I going to have to wait tonight, Jess?" He held up a hand. "I'm not judging. I just want to know if I should stay up or not."

She sat in silence a few moments before reaching a decision. Better to get it over with. "You're not. We're going to continue this discussion at home." Satisfied that everything was in order, she locked the file in her desk and grabbed her things. She turned to face her husband. "Ready?"

A relieved smile appeared on his face. He stood and extended his walking stick. "Ready."

Jess didn't offer him her arm as they left the office. She turned to lock the door and paused as she heard voices coming from the Mayor's office down the hall. Usually Ophelia was gone by this time. "Stay here." she told Matt, before inching her way towards the Mayor's office. Eventually she was close enough to hear and see what was unfolding inside.

"We run everything in this freaking virtual world! How hard is it to kill these terrorists?!" Mayor Sarkissian demanded. "I can understand them being a pain in my ass in the real world. Law enforcement is beyond pathetic. But here we should be able to get rid of these two-bit defenders of the weak and downtrodden with a simple bullet to the head." It was hard to miss disgust in her voice when she said 'weak and downtrodden'.

The man with her stammered out an excuse. At least that's what the tone sounded like. It was hard to make out his words. But there were two words that came through clearly – Jessica Drew.

The Mayor gave a short grunt. "She is far too loyal to Murdock." Her fingers drummed on the desk. "As much as I want her to kill him, that will probably take too long." She took a slow breath. "I may have to visit him again."

Jess' heart thundered in her ears. Virtual world? What virtual world? This wasn't real? Jess pressed her back to the decidedly solid wall and took a few steadying breaths – only to have it knocked out of her at the mention of her name. Loyal to Murdock? Of course, she was. He was her husband, wasn't he? And then her blood turned to ice at the Mayor's next words. What was going on here? She would never - could never. Jess stole herself once more and willed her body to move a few inches closer to the door so she could peak into the office with one eye.

The Mayor was in her chair behind the substantial desk. She was pointing at the man in the room. "See that those terrorists are dealt with. And I don't care what it takes, keep driving that fucking wedge between Murdock and my Spider." She waited for him to agree or at least acknowledge. "Good. I'll be back tomorrow." She reached over to a white marble bunny statue on her desk and pushed in its nose. The Mayor flickered then disappeared completely.

Jess' eyes widened in disbelief. What the absolute fuck was going on here? She ducked behind the wall again as the man started to move about the office. It only took her another second to realize what could happen to her if he caught her where she stood. Without a second thought, Jess hurried as quietly as she could back to her office, grabbing Matt's wrist on the way. She pulled him inside and softly closed the door behind her.

"Je-" That's all he got out before her hand covered his mouth.

She stood with her body pressed to the door for what seemed like hours. Jess was certain everyone could her how loudly her heart pounded. But the sound of her heart was overridden by the sound of rapidly departing footsteps.

"They're gone," Matt whispered.

To be safe, Jess waited for what seemed like another eternity before she cautiously opened her office door again. She peaked down the deserted corridors and then quickly and quietly made her way back to the Mayor's office.

"Jess?" He followed the sound of her footsteps. "Jess, what's going on? Did I hear my name?"

The room was dark, but the light from the street illuminated the room enough that Jess didn't have much trouble seeing. She made her way toward the desk and stared at the little white rabbit there. Ophelia had touched its nose and then had disappeared. Would the same happen to her? Should she even do it? They were going after Matt – she had to keep him safe. The rabbit was staring back at her. She felt like this was a metaphor for some story, but she couldn't quite place it.

Cautiously Jessica reached out to touch the bunny's nose – and then her world went white.


End file.
